Alex rolled out of the way trying to keep his feet under him while the gravity changed. With a thud, he hit the current floor. He felt the woosh of the blade before it got to him. Alex ducked as it came crashing down. He searched for another button knowing it would help him out.

While the automaton adapted to random gravity shifts, it lacked the instinct to respond when Alex intentionally pressed a button. He knew he needed to utilize that fact to win. The issue at the moment was Alex’s weak arm. It had stopped bleeding and was in the process of healing but was not at full function. Each time he swung it was slower and with less power than it should.

Alex called on his echolocation to get a full picture of the room so that each time he spun in the change of gravity he knew where the automaton was and where the new floor would be. He backed away from another swing seeing it coming from the beginning of the machine’s wind-up. The automaton was slow to turn. Alex felt the machine getting closer to him as it sped up. He jumped for the button when the gravity shifted.

He was thrown to the side and barely caught himself. The machine was already almost on top of him again. Alex stabbed out and his knives clattered along the side of the automaton’s metal exterior.

Alex gritted his teeth as he narrowly avoided the automaton's sword. He knew that each hit was taking a toll on his weakened arm, and he couldn't afford to let his guard down. With the shifting gravity, he was constantly thrown off balance, but he used his echolocation to get a sense of where the machine was and where the new floor would be.

Alex's heart pounded in his chest as he dodged another powerful swing from the automaton. The machine's gears whirred and clicked, anticipating his every move. With each passing moment, the automaton seemed to be learning and adapting to Alex's tactics. He knew he needed to find a way to gain the upper hand, but it was proving to be a difficult task.

As they traded blows, Alex's mind raced, searching for any advantage he could exploit. The shifting gravity was both a blessing and a curse. While it gave him a chance to maneuver and reposition himself, it also put tremendous strain on his weakened arm. He could feel the pain growing with each swing and block, threatening to consume him. At the same time, it let the automaton choose a new time to reengage in the battle and how. They were both melee fighters so the only way to take down the opponent was to get close where they had an equal chance of getting hit as well.

In the heat of battle, Alex noticed the automaton's movements becoming more fluid and coordinated as if it was learning from their previous encounters. The machine seemed to be anticipating the gravity shifts, using them to throw him off balance and exploit his weakened state. Alex had to think fast, as the relentless onslaught showed no signs of stopping. It was easily able to speed up its movements or slow them down causing Alex’s pacing and eye for the battle to be thrown off.

With a glance around the room, Alex spotted another button within reach. As the automaton lunged forward, he leaped towards it, pressing the button, and causing the room to shudder once more. The gravity shifted, and Alex found himself falling toward the ceiling.

He used the momentum to land a swift kick to the construct's head, sending it spinning. The automaton's gears whirred and clicked as it tried to regain its bearings, giving Alex a brief respite. He used this moment to catch his breath and assess the situation.

His echolocation continued to provide him with a detailed layout of the room, and he noticed that the cube's orientation was not entirely random. There seemed to be a pattern to the gravity shifts, one that he could potentially exploit. But it was something he would need time to study and understand. It was a pattern he was not sure he had the time to exploit.

As Alex dodged another swing from the automaton's pipe sword, he focused on the pattern, trying to predict the next shift. The room shuddered changing the gravity once more but not as he anticipated.

He tried to adjust his body, but it was difficult to do at the moment. He had nothing to hold onto or pull leverage from. Alex landed awkwardly leaving him exposed. The machine exploited that time. Alex barely blocked but the force threw him back into one of the walls. With a gasp, he got himself back up. He searched for the nearest button. The automaton came charging at him. Alex limped toward the button.

Alex activated the button.

He was pulled forward and the automaton’s motion jerked it backward. He propelled himself off the wall, using the momentum to slam his good arm into the automaton's chest. The impact sent the construct flying across the room, its gears grinding and whirring in protest.

Alex could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, fueling his determination to win. Alex shook his shoulder’s out as he felt their soreness. He felt fore his current mana levels and decided to let some of it flow out and numb his forearm. He knew he couldn't rely on his weakened arm for much longer, but he refused to give up. Even with the assistance of his magic, it would not work forever. If he could just outmaneuver the automaton long enough, he might be able to exploit its weaknesses and secure a victory.

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The automaton recovered from the blow and charged at Alex once more, its pipe sword held high. Alex braced himself and swung his good arm, managing to deflect the attack. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his weakened arm, but he gritted his teeth and fought through it. He let the mana flow double time to keep his hand from shaking and any pain from leaking through.

He pressed another button, shifting the gravity again and sending both him and the automaton flying toward the current ceiling. As they hurtled through the air, Alex used the momentum to deliver another powerful kick to the construct's head. It’s neck was wrenched backward.

The automaton's gears ground to a halt, and for a moment, it seemed as if Alex had won. It’s mana slowing. However, the machine quickly rebooted and resumed its relentless assault, its movements even more fluid and precise than before. It brought its full fury. It pushed forward and Alex had trouble blocking the attacks. With another swing of its sword, the automaton caused Alex to drop the dagger in his weak hand. The pain rang up the rest of his arm. Before he could retaliate or react the gravity shifted.

Alex slid to the right and his dagger slid along the floor with him. Alex cursed and tried to follow the trajectory of the dagger as he adjusted to the new direction of gravity.

“I need to find an opening again and get in a decisive strike. It is always too far away, or gravity shifts in an inconvenient direction. There is only a second or two if that is where I can get in and attack. The automaton doesn’t seem to care that I bashed its head in and has kept going. I need it to power down again or land a critical strike so that it can’t keep moving around. The problem is it has the better reach which I hope I can mitigate with the change in gravity.”

The automaton’s body was dented, and it bore several scars made by Alex’s daggers. Alex himself was also not too good. His injured forearm had started bleeding again opening up he sound further. Alex also felt the onset of several bruises as he tried to move around and dodge the mechanical monster. Small bouts of steam rose from pieces of the automaton as it fought Alex. It cared only for one goal and that was to kill him.

Alex gritted his teeth as he pushed himself off the ground, his vision blurring for a moment as he tried to regain his bearings. The automaton towered over him; its glowing eyes unrelenting as they focused on their target. The metal beast was unyielding, showing no signs of fatigue or mercy, its gears whirring and pistons pumping furiously. Alex knew that he couldn't let the automaton dictate the pace of the fight, and he steeled himself for another assault.

Summoning every ounce of strength, he had left, Alex lunged forward, his dagger glinting in the dim light. The automaton was quick to react, its sword swinging down to meet Alex's advance. The clang of metal on metal reverberated through the room, and Alex felt the impact up his injured arm. The automaton was relentless, forcing Alex to dodge and weave, his body aching with every movement.

In his peripheral vision, Alex could see the room narrowing, the walls closing in on him. The automaton was using its superior strength and agility to push him towards a corner, where he'd have nowhere left to run. He tried to think of a plan, but his mind was clouded by pain and exhaustion, the automaton's relentless pursuit giving him no time to rest or strategize.

Alex felt his back hit the wall, and he knew he was running out of options. The automaton raised its sword for a lethal strike, and Alex desperately rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade as it crashed into the stone floor. He could feel the automaton's weight and power behind the attack, and it sent a shiver down his spine.

As he scrambled to his feet, Alex knew he needed to find a way to turn the tables on the automaton and fast.

“Give me the chance and I will take it. This machine must have a way to be defeated.”

With a sudden burst of movement, the menacing automaton swung its arm, attempting to land a devastating blow on Alex. He swiftly contorted his body, narrowly avoiding the attack. In that split-second, his senses homed in on the nearest button, and he dashed towards it with urgency.

As he sprinted, the automaton took another swipe at him, its metal limb whistling through the air. Thanks to his echolocation, Alex detected the attack just in time to leap out of harm's way, feeling the rush of air from the near miss. Panting, he finally reached the button and anxiously awaited the automaton's approach.

The metallic beast stomped towards him, its gears whirring and grinding. Suddenly, Alex felt an unnerving shift in gravity, and he was being pulled away from the button. With a surge of adrenaline, he stretched out his arm and managed to grasp the protrusion holding the button. Desperately, he pressed it, and the automaton was momentarily caught between the forces of two opposing gravitational fields.

The machine emitted an ear-piercing screech, its arms flailing as it pushed off the wall and hurtled toward Alex. Thinking quickly, he gripped his remaining knife and hurled it at the automaton's chest. The blade sunk deep into its metallic frame, but the automaton continued its relentless charge. In a last-ditch effort, Alex jabbed the button once more, sending the automaton upwards, with himself following closely behind.

As they both plummeted towards the new ground, Alex collided with the automaton, one foot pressed firmly against its head and the other pushing against the dagger embedded in its chest. He fought to prevent the machine from using its sword, his hand locked in a desperate struggle for control. Meanwhile, he sensed his other dagger clattering far away, too distant to be of any use.

Landing atop the automaton with a bone-jarring thud, Alex wasted no time in striking his foot against the mechanical monster again and again. Each kick landed with increasing force, until, finally, he could kick no more. With one final, powerful blow to the head, he collapsed to the ground, utterly spent. The automaton lay still, its once-imposing head now a crumpled mess, leaking a mysterious fluid onto the cold, hard floor. “Let’s see what you are made of now,” said Alex as he began inspecting the internal and exposed components of his opponent now.