Watching how the empty-handed puppet was slowly approaching him, Robert tried to think about his options. The reactor core inside his metal shell was already running at the maximum possible level. There was a thought about the use of two outside sources directly to increase the energy output, but Rob shook this awful idea off. He had enough on his plate to deal with, and adding another problem during the fight was out of the question. It left him with his long-acquainted pitch-black armor and destructive layer on top of physical might. And, considering the disturbing pressure, it didn’t look promising. Especially, when the whole chamber was set aflame, enveloping everything in fire.
The cause of such effect – the puppet of a martial artist – was looking like a god of scorching sun, shining amid the flames. It wasn’t the direct glow, but more like overheating from the insane temperature that was turning his body white. And Robert’s will wavered, halting its crumbling process in the last moment. The reason was simple – the flame somehow managed to pierce his previously unbreachable defense that failed only in front of nuclear power. It wasn’t through the soles of his bare feet as if the place managed to withstand his full-powered hits that Robert had no desire to leave a weak spot. No, the Qi-empowered flame burned his energy, causing almost mutual destruction. Considering his mind that was struggling to keep everything running under the pressure on his soul, it almost led to his death as the puppet moved an instant it felt the opportunity.
Vanishing from its spot, the puppet repeated the same flying kick it did during the previous stages. However, not only was it much faster, but Rob’s own movements were slowed to a huge extent, draining a lot of strength and focus just on attempting to keep up. And he failed, getting smacked right into his armor-covered face. Coated in flames, the puppet’s leg penetrated through the disintegrative layer and crushed the obsidian layer before proceeding with Rob’s metal skull. In just a fraction of an instant, his beheaded body was thrown away, crashing into the wall. Dropping limply, Robert took another instant to regain his control, starting a restoration process. However, the puppet seemed to have no obligation to wait for him to get up.
Following with jumping, it landed directly on Robert, turning his lower abdomen and groin area into a pulp. The melted mess of gray and black steel mixed together into an unrecognizable state, simultaneously exposing the edge of his reactor core. The latter simply couldn’t be missed, filled with energy to the brink. Therefore, changing its target, the puppet tried to stomp the sphere… only to be met with resistance from its own leg. Trapped similarly as its own artificial brother tried to do, the opponent failed to react to Robert’s actions when the latter suddenly raised his torso while twisting it to empower the motion. In the next moment, Rob’s elbowed its knee.
The huge joint was set aflame right before the impact, but it didn’t help – the force behind Robert’s strike was too huge, while Qi was used to fight off the destructive energy. In the end, the sheer kinetic energy splattered the stone fragments, severing the leg of the opponent at once. However, not pausing his actions, Rob released the puppet that was already falling due to the loss of balance. Meeting the approaching chest with his punch, he sent the artificial enemy flying. This forceful disengagement gave them both enough time to stand up and pause, looking at each other.
Hehe, you seem can’t regenerate during the fight… But I do… And, believe me, I personally know how OP can be endless regeneration… You are so fucked, doll!
If the puppet even had any emotions, it never showed. Instead, it silently prepared for the next exchange, giving Robert the ability to stabilize his own constructs. Lowering the intensity of the heat produced by its artificial body, the puppet conjured a new limb directly from the flame, putting its weight on it a moment later. This act made Robert’s smile under the armor disappear, as the potential advantage that he held had followed the suit. However, Rob wasn’t discouraged, quietly muttering with only his lips.
Round two, go!
They both rushed to each other at lightning speed. The puppet was first to strike, making a straightforward punch toward Robert’s face. Not reaching an intended target, the fist shot forward with a sudden fireball. However, Rob’s eyes noticed those tiniest changes that occurred right before the projectile manifested, pushing him in motion at once. Tilting his head to the side, he avoided the fireball at the last moment. Simultaneously, Robert proceeded with his own attack. Taking a step forward, he sent his own fist flying. The puppet blocked immediately, putting its forearms under the attack. The flame flickered for a fraction of a second, resisting the contact with disintegrative energy, while the stone limbs withstood the strike. The following low kick was countered in the same manner. Then the puppet retook the initiative.
Twisting its artificial body, the opponent swung with its fire prosthetic, aiming at Rob’s ribs. Instantly reacting, Robert lowered his arm to protect himself. To his utter surprise, the flame leg went through his block as if the leg lost any corporeality right before the contact. Scorching his inners, the burning-hot Qi melted it, creating a hole in Rob’s side and stomach. However, to his senseless body, it was just a temporary inconvenience. Therefore, ignoring the result of the strike, Robert lunged forward, ramming into the puppet. The latter, standing on one leg during its attack, was sent tumbling. However, just an instant later a jet of flame was made from the feet, stabilizing its fall and moving it out of Rob’s reach. Or at least the puppet tried, using its improvised burst to fly from danger. Unfortunately for it, Robert was faster.
Pushing himself through viscous air that tried to halt each of his motions, he still managed to catch the neck of the puppet before smashing it against the surface. He felt like something cracked underneath, but seeing how the opponent was sucking all flame toward itself from the surroundings, Rob had no wish to stop. Releasing the neck, he grabbed the burning hand of the puppet, pulling the palm toward its owner’s artificial face. In the next moment, a concentrated stream of fire was summoned, scorching the yellow surface of its creator. The Qi technique was so devastating that even his palm melted just from non-direct contact with the source. It had no effect on his mind. On the contrary, Robert used this opportunity to slightly raise above the opponent before dropping down with his knee aimed at the neck. Conjuring a spike, he additionally increased his weight just to hit as hard as he could. That appeared to be enough for the smaller joint to immediately brake, severing the stone head from the body, and thus ending the fight.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Slowly standing up, he watched with growing horror how the puppet was slowly disappearing inside the floor only to be soon renovated again. His mind raced, thinking about the constant pressure on his soul that not only decreased his strength but also made it hard even to think clearly. Everything felt like he was looking through the haze, while wearing an ancient diving suit, walking on the bottom of the ocean almost without any available oxygen. And to fight in such circumstances against more opponents at once, when his protective layer could be easily broken and there was no need to risk his life in the first – that was a really awful idea. Even suicidal. So, Rob did what he could think to save his own life.
“I forfeit!”
His shout was a second before the next fight started, deactivating both puppets just in time. Sighing with relief, Robert finally moved his steel to repair the damage as under this pressure his mind failed to do it automatically. What was worse, even after a short time frame under this effect, he started to lose focus, clearly exhausting his inner reserves. Luckily, by putting a message about returning to the center, the place started to slowly decrease the intensity of this area effect. For the first time after turning into a metal abomination, Robert felt exhausted. Completely spent, both mentally and physically. Enveloping his body, the sensation of strained muscles filled him to the brink. It felt… wonderful, giving him an old-forgotten feeling of the good training session. It made him alive.
Lost in the sensations, he spent another minute bathing in it until his body returned back to normal because of the running reactor core. Washing over with constant energy, it took away all tiredness, leaving him with his senseless shell once again. Sighing again, but this time with regret, Robert proceeded to the illuminated spot, while hiding his pitch-black armor inside, staying only in self-made pants. The moment he stepped in, the commanding message switched to a new question.
Are you willing to pledge your eternal loyalty to the Righteous and Profound Sect of the Wide Firmament?
“Yep, no objections here,” Rob replied without any hesitation. His reasoning was simple – he was already stuck in this already dead sect, and any authority would automatically make his stay legal, maybe even granting currently unknown permissions and access to hidden facilities. Moreover, the absence of any living members pushed his potential rank to the highest in a local hierarchy by default. Last, but not least – he wasn’t sure what reaction could be if he refused this offer while being trapped in the tower, surrounded by mighty soul-pressing formations and combat puppets.
According to your battle prowess and level of cultivation, you will be granted the position of the Elder. Take your sign and wear it with honor!
In the next moment, an amulet appeared in front of Robert. Floating amid the air, it had a plain leather strap that went through a rectangular sapphire. The latter had a black symbol, engraved on its surface. Rob’s inbuilt translator immediately explained its meaning – “Sky”. Apart from this crystal-clear gem, there was nothing else. It was as simple and pure as the name it carried. However, not to the point of being a liability as an attempt to pick it turned the amulet into blush particles that were instantly sucked inside his body only to reappear on the back of his palm, but this time in the form of a barely visible image.
“Thanks… I guess? That was quite a meteoric rise in ranks,” Looking at this image on his grayish skin, Robert forcefully dispersed his palm, checking how it would react. To his surprise, the picture simply repeated on his other palm an instant later. Several following attempts led to the same result, creating an idea that it was some kind of a permanent soul-mark.
I wonder what rank I would have gotten if I managed to beat all five at once… It was the sixth stage, but was it last? As far as I remember the stories I read about cultivators – those freaks were always strong… Like shattering-a-mountain-with-a-slap strong. So, there can be more… Hmm, the silence amidst pretty nature and without bothering company, any dangers, with a private gym equipped with sparring partners… yeah, I already love this place! Let’s check the local library to see if this place can satisfy my desire to read. Hope the rank of an Elder is enough to enter the place...
This time the “Pavillion of Techniques” decided not to spare him any attention, saving its overwhelming pressure for others… if there were any. The tall pagoda with many levels lost some gloss due to the passage of time but still could showcase the remnants of the wealth that was spent decorating with golden paint, working formations, and distinguished flags, which were currently not better than a piece of old cloth in most cases. Still, the main one with the name of the sect was waving proudly, barely having any signs of wear out.
Pushing heavy doors with a faded ornament and stepping inside, Robert found himself in a huge hall. The space around the entrance was empty, but further into the pavilion, there were at least a dozen long tables, creating an improvised barrier between Rob and rows of shelves, filled with multiple big scrolls. The high ceiling was slightly glowing with white light, illuminating this enormous sanctuary of knowledge. And this state was indeed true without any underestimation, as not only did Robert fail to see the walls, hidden behind the tall shelves, but also there were stairs on the opposite side of the hall, leading to the next floor. Knowing how often it was exactly the way to separate access to the restricted techniques according to the ranks, Rob had potentially six floors to explore.
Nice! I only hope that there is something useful for me among these “circulation of blossoming purple Sakura from dark abyssal blackness”, “technique of lighting flying dick under the night sky” or “heavenly mighty cultivation method of the super powerful increase solely for wielders of a cheating golden finger” … But even if not, this sect… this whole realm… can become quite a perfect place for retirement after my life of a warrior. Like a farm, far from any troubles of the outer world. With no worries, no rush, no danger… I think I deserved a good long rest after everything I went through.