novelraw Chapter 59: Dance of Steel and Death!
Chapter 59: Dance of Steel and Death!
Daniel stepped out of the dark tunnel and into the Regulator Chamber. The change in the atmosphere was instant and shocking because the air here wasn’t hot like the tunnel behind him. Instead, the air was cold and smelled like pure electricity.
He looked around the room, and his eyes widened in surprise. It was a massive, circular chamber with walls made of smooth, white metal that glowed with a soft internal light.
The floor was polished so clean that Daniel could see his own reflection in the tiles. In the center of the room, a massive machine dominated the space.
It looked like a giant mechanical spider with thick cables plugging into the floor and ceiling. The machine hummed with a deep, rhythmic sound, pumping blue energy through the pipes that ran along the walls, managing the flow of power for the entire Astral Verge.
Daniel took a step forward, his boots clicking loudly on the pristine floor.
Suddenly, a section of the floor near the central machine slid open. A platform rose up from the ground, carrying a figure that made Daniel stop in his tracks. It was a construct, but it was nothing like the scrap golems or the drones he had fought before.
This machine was sleek, tall, and made of polished chrome that shone under the lights. It had no face, just a smooth, mirrored surface where a head should be. Its body was thin but built for speed, and its arms ended in sharp, energy-infused blades.
It stood perfectly still, blocking the path to the central machine. Daniel raised his left arm and quickly scanned the enemy with his Databand.
[Conduit Regulator - Model A21 (Level 6)] [Stats: Variable (Draws Power from Core), Extremely High Agility, Extremely High Spirit.] [Abilities: Energy Shield, Kinetic Dampeners, Plasma Lance.]
[Threat Assessment: Tactical Nightmare. Designed to counter high-speed intruders. Resistant to physical and magical damage.]
"Level 6," Daniel whispered, his grip tightening on his daggers. "And it has extremely high agility." This was a major guardian. It was two levels above him, and unlike the beasts in the jungle, this thing didn’t run on instinct because it ran on advanced combat algorithms.
The Regulator didn’t roar or do anything stupid. It simply tilted its faceless head toward Daniel, assessing him like a computer processing a virus.
Daniel didn’t wait for an invitation. He unslung his Skyreaver Bow and nocked an arrow. He channeled his mana into the shaft, turning the tip into a glowing point of purple light.
"[Mana Bolt]!" He released the string, and the arrow flew through the air with a high-pitched whistle, aiming straight for the robot’s chest.
The Regulator didn’t dodge, nor did it move its feet. It simply raised one hand, palm facing outward.
A hexagonal wall of blue light appeared in front of the machine.
The arrow hit the [Energy Shield] and dissolved instantly, the magical energy rippling harmlessly across the barrier.
"Okay," Daniel thought, his heart beating faster. "Magic is out."
He didn’t stop. He dropped the bow and drew his C+ Twin Fang daggers. He activated his movement skill.
"[Shadowsteps]!"
His agility tripled instantly. Daniel blurred into motion, rushing toward the Guardian with an abnormal speed.
He closed the twenty-meter gap in a split second, aiming a low slash at the robot’s knee.
The Regulator moved. It was fast. Terrifyingly fast. It didn’t just block, it weaved.
It stepped back with a fluid grace, causing Daniel’s dagger to slice through empty air.
Daniel spun around, using his momentum to deliver a backhand slash with his other dagger. The blade hit the robot’s chrome plating.
THUD!
There was no screech of metal on metal. There was no spark. The impact felt dull and soft.
The [Kinetic Dampeners] absorbed the force of the blow completely. Daniel’s eyes went wide.
His attack had done absolutely nothing.
The Regulator countered immediately. Its arm transformed, the metal shifting and opening to reveal a glowing nozzle.
[Plasma Lance].
A beam of superheated white light shot out from the robot’s arm. Daniel threw himself backward, rolling across the floor.
The beam followed him, scorching a black line into the white tiles where he had been standing a fraction of a second ago.
Daniel scrambled to his feet, panting. "It’s too fast," Daniel realized. "And I can’t hurt it." The Regulator didn’t give him time to think.
It charged. It closed the distance and swung its bladed arms in rapid strikes.
Daniel was forced on the defensive. He used every trick Gideon had taught him.
He blocked and dodged, weaving between the attacks.
He saw the shoulder dip, indicating a strike from the right, and he ducked. He saw the hip turn, indicating a kick, and he jumped.
It was a dance of steel and death.
Daniel saw an opening. The robot lunged too far. Daniel stepped in close, inside its guard.
He dropped his daggers and clenched his fist. He poured his mana into a kinetic strike.
"[Forceburst]!"
He punched the robot directly in the chest.
WHUMPF!
The dampeners flared. The kinetic energy was swallowed up by the machine’s armor. It didn’t even stumble. The Regulator looked down at Daniel.
It swung its arm in a brutal backhand motion. The metal fist hit Daniel’s chest.
CRACK!
The force was overwhelming. Daniel was lifted off his feet and thrown across the room. He slammed into the smooth wall and slid down to the floor, gasping for air.
His C-Grade Deflector Vest had absorbed some of the damage, but his ribs hurt so bad. He tasted blood in his mouth.
"I can’t win this," Daniel thought, wiping blood from his lip. "Not in a fair fight."
He looked at the machine. It was perfect. It was faster than him, tougher than him, and it had a shield that stopped magic.
But then, Daniel noticed something. When the Regulator had moved to attack him, the thick cables connecting it to the floor had moved with it.
But one cable... one thick, black power cable was trailing behind it, connecting the robot directly to the central machine.
Daniel narrowed his eyes. The stats said "Variable (Draws Power from Core)."
"It’s not independent," Daniel realized. "It’s tethered. It needs that cable to fight at full power."
If he could cut that cable, the machine would lose its endless energy supply. But the Regulator was smart. It protected the cable with its body, always keeping itself between Daniel and the central machine.
"I need to make it move," Daniel schemed. "I need to make it think I am attacking the Core."
He stood up slowly. He picked up his daggers. He didn’t look at the robot, he looked past it, at the spinning central machine.
Daniel took a deep breath. He channeled his mana. He pretended to charge up a [Mana Bolt], holding his hand high.
The Regulator’s sensors flared. It shifted its stance, widening its legs to block the path to the machine.
It raised its [Energy Shield], expecting a magical attack. "Now!" Daniel sprinted forward.
He ran straight at the robot. The Regulator braced itself, preparing to swat him away again.