Ryan stood his ground in the vast, circular chamber, facing the imposing Custodian Sentinel. The Level 5 Precursor robot was shiny and has a glowing red eyes.
The Data Vault pulsed invitingly behind it, and the recently acquired Resonance Key hummed faintly in his pocket, as if eager to get closer to all that Precursor tech.
"Lethal force authorized, huh?" Ryan muttered, eyeing the Sentinel's massive cannon-arms. "You Precursor guys really didn't like uninvited guests, did you?"
He knew this fight wouldn't be like the Stonejaw Ambusher. This Sentinel was Level 5, a full level above him, and its "High" Threat Level wasn't just for show. Brute force wasn't going to cut it. He needed to be smart, fast, and use every trick he had.
The Custodian Sentinel, clearly not one for idle chit-chat, decided Ryan had overstayed his welcome. Its weapon-arms whined as they powered up.
It seemed to underestimate the lone, Level 4 human standing before it. Perhaps it was used to squishier intruders.
Sentinel Voice: Warning. Non-compliance detected. Initiating defensive countermeasures.
With that cheery send-off, the Sentinel opened fire. Not with bullets, oh no. It unleashed a barrage of crackling blue energy pulses, each one the size of a dinner plate, that shrieked through the air towards Ryan.
"Yikes! Party time!" Ryan exclaimed, immediately activating his Phase Gauntlet's "Short Blink."
Zip!
He teleported a meter to his left, the energy pulses searing the spot where he'd just been, leaving smoking scorch marks on the ancient stone floor.
He didn't stop there. He used another blink charge, then another, zipping around the chamber, forcing the Sentinel to track his movements.
He noticed something crucial: the Sentinel was powerful, but it was also bulky. It turned and pivoted relatively slowly, its heavy chassis taking a moment to adjust its weapons. That was his opening.
"You're kind of slow for a high-tech killing machine," Ryan said, trying to calm his nerves. He used his enhanced agility to dodge the energy blasts and move closer to the metal giant.
His plan was simple: get in close, use his poisoned, reinforced knife, and hit it where it will get hurt. He knew from the Lore Scanner on previous Precursor constructs that they often had vulnerable joints or exposed power conduits if you looked hard enough.
He blinked one last time, appearing right beside one of the Sentinel's thick, metallic legs. He thrust his knife at a visible joint where the leg met the main body.
Screeech!
His knife scraped against the reinforced armor, sending sparks flying, but it didn't penetrate deeply.
This thing was tough! He managed to leave a nasty scratch, and hopefully, some of the Quill Toxin seeped in, but it wasn't the crippling blow he'd hoped for.
The Sentinel, irritated by the pest at its feet, tried to stomp him. Ryan blinked away just in time, barely avoiding being crushed.
Sentinel Voice: Evasive organic entity is proving… sub-optimally compliant.
Activating Tier 2 defensive protocols.
Suddenly, a shimmering blue shield, like a giant soap bubble made of pure energy, flickered into existence around the Custodian Sentinel. It crackled with power.
"Oh, come on!" Ryan groaned. "An energy shield? That's just cheating!"
His next knife jabs bounced off the shield with loud thwangs. The poison was useless if he couldn't break through the bubble.
The Sentinel, now protected, decided to unveil another of its party tricks. Its optical sensors glowed brighter, and a deep, thrumming sound emanated from its chest.
Sentinel Voice: Deploying area-denial ordnance. Please stand by for… concussive re-education.
It then unleashed a powerful "Concussion Blast". a wave of pure sonic force that exploded outwards from its chassis.
Ryan felt the blast hit him like a physical punch, even from a distance. It wasn't an energy beam; it was a shockwave that rattled his teeth, made his vision blur, and sent him tumbling backwards across the chamber floor.
He landed in a heap, his ears ringing, his head spinning. The air was knocked out of his lungs.
"Okay… that one… definitely hurt," he wheezed, trying to get his breath back.
The Sentinel, its energy shield still active, began to advance slowly towards him, its weapon-arms already powering up for another volley. This was not looking good.
Ryan was in trouble. He was dazed, his knife was useless, and the Sentinel was about to blast him. He needed a distraction, a way to reset the fight.
His hand instinctively went to his Cloak of Shifting Umbra. He was surrounded by dust and debris kicked up by the Concussion Blast.
Maybe, just maybe…
He focused, activating the cloak's power and his Environmental Camouflage talent simultaneously. He tried to will himself to melt into the swirling dust and shadows.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, as the Sentinel took another step closer, its red eyes scanning for him, Ryan felt the cloak respond.
The shadows clung to him, the dust seemed to envelop him, and he just… vanished. Or at least, he became very, very hard to see in the chaotic aftermath of the blast.
The Sentinel paused, its optical sensors sweeping the area.
Sentinel Voice: Target acquisition failed. Recalibrating sensors.
Ryan, hidden in the dust cloud, grinned despite his aching ribs.
He used the momentary confusion to his advantage. He knew the energy shield wouldn't last forever. He just needed to survive until it dropped, or find a way to overload it.
He moved quietly, a shadow among shadows, circling to the Sentinel's side as it searched for him. Then he saw it, a flicker in the energy shield. Maybe the Concussion Blast had drained its power.
He didn't wait to find out. He burst from his cover, his Phase Gauntlet charged for one last blink.
Zip!
He appeared directly behind the Custodian Sentinel, right where its massive torso connected to its leg assembly. He'd noticed a cluster of what looked like power cables or hydraulic lines there earlier, less armored than the rest of its body.
He plunged his poisoned knife into the cluster of cables with all his might.
This time, there was no screech of metal on metal. There was a shower of blue sparks, a smell of burning electronics, and a satisfying thunk as his blade bit deep. The poison, he hoped, would now have a direct route into the Sentinel's delicate innards.
The Sentinel let out a harsh, mechanical shriek. Its energy shield sputtered, then failed. It moved awkwardly now, one weapon-arm hanging and sparking.
Sentinel Voice: Critical… system… damage… detected….
Ryan didn't let up. He pulled his knife free and stabbed again, and again, targeting the damaged area, exploiting the weakness he'd created.
The poison was clearly doing its work now, causing shorts and system failures within the mighty robot.
After a protracted, desperate struggle, with Ryan dodging wild, uncoordinated energy blasts and retaliatory swipes from the failing machine, the Custodian Sentinel finally shuddered to a halt.
Its glowing red eyes flickered one last time, then went dark. A wisp of smoke curled up from its chassis.
It was over. He'd won. He leaned against a pillar, panting, every muscle in his body aching, but a triumphant grin spread across his face.
He'd taken down a Level 5 Precursor death-robot. He was definitely getting the hang of this "hero" stuff. Or at least, the "surviving against ridiculous odds" stuff