The air underground felt… controlled.
Not just monitored—
designed.
Red lights pulsed across the chamber walls.
The space widened into a circular arena, metal platforms layered above and below.
Every angle covered.
Every movement trackable.
"…yeah," Kael muttered.
"They built this for us."
Aiden didn't take his eyes off the figures ahead.
Six of them.
Humanoid system units.
Their frames were sharper than drones—sleek armor, glowing lines tracing across their bodies like circuits alive.
No wasted design.
No unnecessary bulk.
Built for combat.
[ELITE UNIT DESIGNATION: SENTINEL CLASS]
Hana's voice came low through the comms.
"…these are new."
Lira's tone followed, tense.
"I'm not getting full data… they're partially shielded from system scans."
Aiden exhaled slowly.
"…of course they are."
One of the Sentinels stepped forward.
Its head tilted slightly—
Just like Final Constant.
[ANOMALY DETECTED]
Aiden smirked faintly.
"…yeah, I get that a lot."
The Sentinel moved.
Gone in an instant.
"Fast—!" Kael started—
Too late.
Aiden blocked—
BOOM.
The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber.
The ground beneath his feet cracked instantly.
"…yeah."
He slid back slightly.
"…you're different."
The Sentinel didn't pause.
It attacked again.
Precise.
Clean.
No wasted motion.
Aiden dodged—
Barely—
Another Sentinel moved.
Then another.
They didn't rush all at once.
They rotated.
Tagging in and out.
Perfect coordination.
Dax charged forward with a grin.
"My turn—!"
He slammed into one—
CRASH.
The impact echoed—
But—
The Sentinel barely moved.
"…what?"
It countered instantly.
A single strike—
BOOM.
Dax was launched across the chamber—
Crashing into a wall.
"…damn," Kael muttered.
"That's new."
Hana fired from behind—
Precise shots—
The Sentinel deflected them.
Not dodged.
Deflected.
"…they're reading trajectories," she said.
Aiden's eyes sharpened.
"…no."
A pause.
"…they're predicting intention."
Silence.
That was worse.
Three Sentinels moved at once.
Aiden stepped forward.
Energy flickered faintly around him.
Not full.
Controlled.
"…let's test that."
The first attack came—
Aiden moved—
Slightly off.
The Sentinel adjusted—
But delayed.
Just a fraction.
"…good."
He slipped past—
Struck—
CRACK.
The Sentinel staggered back.
Not destroyed—
But damaged.
Kael jumped in—
"Now we're talking!"
He followed up—
Landing another hit—
The unit recovered faster than expected—
Countered—
Kael barely blocked—
"…okay, not talking anymore."
Rin's voice came from above—
"I've got a shot—!"
A precise bullet fired—
It hit—
Directly in the Sentinel's core—
BOOM.
The unit dropped.
Destroyed.
Silence—
For a second.
Then—
All remaining Sentinels turned.
At once.
[THREAT PRIORITY UPDATED]
Rin froze.
"…oh, that's bad."
Aiden's expression sharpened.
"…they learn fast."
Hana shouted—
"Rin, reposition!"
Too late.
Two Sentinels launched upward—
Blazing fast—
Rin barely dodged—
Her position compromised.
"…they're targeting roles," Hana said.
"Sniper, heavy, support—"
Aiden finished—
"…and me."
Three Sentinels shifted toward him.
Not rushing.
Containing.
Studying.
Aiden exhaled slowly.
"…yeah."
This wasn't a random fight.
This was a test.
For them—
And for him.
Energy flickered again around his body.
Stronger this time.
More stable.
But still dangerous.
Hana's voice cut in—
"Aiden, don't overdo it!"
He didn't look back.
"…I won't."
A lie.
He stepped forward.
The Sentinels moved.
And this time—
The clash wasn't chaotic.
It was precise.
Calculated.
Each move—
A test.
Each reaction—
Data.
And somewhere—
Beyond the battlefield—
Final Constant watched.
[ANOMALY PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS: ACTIVE]
Its evolution continued.
[V3 PROTOCOL: 74% COMPLETE]
The gap was closing.
Faster than ever.
Back in Sector 9—
Aiden's eyes sharpened.
"…then let's speed this up."
The energy surged slightly.
The fight escalated.
And this time—
It wasn't just about surviving.
It was about proving something.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!