Fighting Robots

The first light of dawn was just breaking, but a deadly tension had already spread across the training grounds at the doomsday base.

Linda wore a suit of silver armor that set off her already cold, beautiful face, lending her even more of an ice queen's majesty.

Frost Shadow glinted coldly in her hand, as though it could unleash a freezing current at any moment.

A Kai wore a lightweight black combat suit, his figure lithe and agile.

He held the flashy Thunder's Fury, while tiny arcs of electricity danced around him with a crackling sound, making him look just like a DJ turntable running at full power.

Atop the raised platform, Lu Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze profound, as though surveying the entire battlefield.

Today, he wore a well-tailored black trench coat that made his figure look even more upright.

A breeze swept past, making the hem of his coat flap sharply, giving him the air of a doomsday leader.

"Today's objective is simple," Lu Chen said, his voice quiet but clear to everyone. "Use your new toys and follow my commands. In ten minutes, turn these hunks of metal into scrap."

At Lu Chen's command, the atmosphere in the training grounds instantly grew tense to the breaking point.

"System activated!"

A cold, synthesized voice rang out. Then the ground began to shake, and hundreds of androids poured out from every direction like a tide.

The robots came in all shapes and sizes. Some carried firearms, others brandished sharp blades, and some were enormous armored robots whose heavy steps rumbled as they simulated a real battlefield.

"Linda, clear the way!" Lu Chen's voice rang out over the communications channel, brief and forceful.

"Understood!" Linda answered, launching the first attack.

With a sharp cry, she hurled Frost Shadow forward.

"Whoosh-!"

Frost Shadow sliced through the air, leaving an icy blue trail before burying itself in the ground.

"Crack-!"

A surge of extreme cold erupted from Frost Shadow. As though winter had descended, a thick layer of frost rapidly formed across the ground.

The robots at the front were caught off guard and frozen in place, turning into lifelike ice sculptures.

"A Kai, cover the area with fire!" Lu Chen ordered again.

"Been waiting for this!" A Kai gave an excited whoop and kicked off the ground, shooting into the sky like an arrow loosed from a bow.

"Thunder's Fury, blast them!"

A Kai swung Thunder's Fury in midair, sending thick bolts of lightning crashing down into the crowd of robots.

"Rumble-!"

Deafening thunder boomed and lightning flashed in every direction. Black smoke rose from the robots struck by the bolts; their bodies convulsed before they collapsed one after another, completely wrecked.

Linda's domain of extreme cold restricted the enemy's movements, while A Kai's lightning storm dealt devastating blows to the densely packed areas.

The two worked in perfect sync, and for a time, they suppressed the "enemy army" of hundreds of robots so thoroughly that it couldn't raise its head.

Lu Chen stood on the platform without rushing to join in, carefully observing the rhythm of their battle instead.

He was looking for the best opening, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.

"Not bad. Looks like those two have finally learned to work together." The corners of Lu Chen's mouth rose slightly in a satisfied smile.

Even so, he didn't let his guard down.

He knew this was only the beginning.

The real test was yet to come.

Sure enough, just as Linda and A Kai were gradually gaining the upper hand, the training system automatically increased the difficulty.

"Warning! Warning! Insufficient enemy firepower detected. Activating SSS-rank enemy general simulation program!"

The cold, synthesized voice sounded again. The ground shook once more, and an enormous robot slowly rose from underground.

The robot stood a full three meters tall, covered in heavy armor, its muscles bulging with explosive power.

He carried an enormous war hammer, its metallic head gleaming in a way that struck fear into anyone who saw it.

"SSS-rank enemy general, activated!"

The enormous robot let out a low roar and charged at Linda and A Kai with heavy strides.

The ground shook violently with every step he took, as though an earthquake had struck.

"Holy shit! What the hell is that?!" A Kai jumped in fright, immediately breaking off his attack and retreating.

Linda felt the immense pressure too. She gritted her teeth and pushed the ice energy inside her to its limit, attempting to stop the robot's advance.

"Ice Shield!"

With a sharp cry, Linda formed a thick wall of ice in front of herself.

The robot, however, paid the ice wall no mind.

He roared and swung his war hammer, smashing it into the wall.

"Boom-!"

With an enormous crash, the ice wall shattered instantly, sending countless shards flying in every direction.

The tremendous impact also sent Linda staggering backward, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of her mouth.

"Linda, watch out!" Seeing this, A Kai rushed forward to help her.

The robot, however, gave him no chance.

He raised his foot and kicked A Kai hard in the chest.

"Bam-!"

A Kai screamed and flew backward like a kite with its string cut. He slammed into the ground and couldn't get up for a long time.

"Pah! This hunk of metal is damn strong!" A Kai spat out a mouthful of bloody foam and struggled to stand, only to find his whole body aching and unable to muster any strength.

Even working together, Linda and A Kai couldn't defeat a single SSS-rank enemy general!

Seeing this, Lu Chen frowned slightly.

He hadn't expected those two to go down so easily.

"Looks like you won't get serious unless I give you a little something extra," Lu Chen muttered to himself.

He took a deep breath and slowly raised his right hand.

In his palm, a black light was quietly gathering.

Lu Chen's gaze grew colder and sharper, like a sword drawn from its sheath, radiating a chilling killing intent.

It seemed he was really going to get serious...

"I originally wanted to let you play a little longer, but now it seems there's no need." Lu Chen's voice was like a whisper from hell, full of the scent of death.

"Next, I'll show you what... true power is!"

Lu Chen took a step, and his figure instantly vanished from where he stood.

The next moment, a bolt of black lightning tore through the air, heading straight for the battlefield...

The moment Lu Chen vanished, only a meaningful sentence remained on the platform, drifting on the wind with a hint of an unsettling omen: "The game... has only just begun."

Lu Chen's gaze turned icy. He was tired of playing!

With a thought, the enemy general's prized A-rank [Gravity Suppression] talent was ruthlessly stolen by [Infinite Replication] and forcibly upgraded to SSS-rank!

"A mere A-rank talent, and you dare act so arrogantly before me?" A wicked smile curved Lu Chen's lips.

At the same time, an invisible [Causality Interference] silently enveloped the enemy general like a great net, disrupting the core algorithms of its artificial intelligence and introducing a barely perceptible error into its normally precise judgment.

This was Lu Chen's signature skill, perfect for dealing with anyone who refused to submit!

The next second, before Linda and A Kai's astonished eyes, Lu Chen vanished like a ghost, then appeared behind the SSS-rank enemy general as though he had teleported.

He was so fast that he exceeded the limits of what the naked eye could track; only an afterimage could be seen flashing through the air.

"Whoa, Chen Bro's using cheats, isn't he?!" A Kai rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating.

"Pssh-!"

In the silent training grounds, the faint sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out.

The [Godslaying Blade] in Lu Chen's hand pierced the enemy general's heavy armor as easily as cutting through tofu, stabbing precisely through its energy core.

The enemy general's movements froze instantly, and its once-fierce momentum rapidly dissipated like a deflating ball.

A light of unwillingness and confusion flickered in its eyes, as though it couldn't believe it had been defeated so easily.

Lu Chen slowly pulled out the [Godslaying Blade]. Not a trace of blood stained its edge; it was as clean as new.

He looked coldly at the enemy general as it crashed to the ground and said in an icy tone, "Remember, this isn't a drill. It's the war of the future."

With that, he turned and left without looking back, leaving Linda and A Kai standing there at a loss.

"Chen Bro... he... what did he just say?" A Kai stammered, evidently still reeling from the shock.

Linda looked just as stunned. She watched Lu Chen's retreating figure, her heart full of awe.

She knew this man was no ordinary person.

He would be this apocalypse's...

Just then, the base's public address system suddenly sounded, breaking the silence of the training grounds.

"Attention, everyone. Assemble at Ruins Square in ten minutes!"

Hearing the announcement, Lu Chen's lips curved slightly into a meaningful smile.

He quickened his pace and headed toward Ruins Square, his heart full of anticipation.

The show was about to begin...