The Prototype of Asura V
A steel door blocked my path.
My sensors revealed it wasn’t ordinary steel. The thickness alone registered at several meters of special super-alloy.
No siege weapon could breach it easily.
I maneuvered the Bugbear along the right wall, probing with my memories for a weak point.
Finally, I found a section that differed subtly in color and texture from the surrounding wall.
I scratched the surface lightly with the tip of my Plasma Blade. A small control panel emerged from beneath the dust.
The power was only partially cut off—the status lights flickered weakly.
“Security code… just like in the game.”
I entered the code. The lights flickered rapidly. A faint collision sound echoed inside the system.
A short mechanical chime followed, and the panel’s status lights shifted to green.
“It worked!”
An involuntary cheer of relief burst from my throat.
Kugugugu…
Heavy vibrations shook the air. The steel door slowly rose upward.
The space beyond was far more spacious than I had expected.
The ceiling was so high the lights couldn’t reach it, leaving everything in darkness.
Complex machines and tangled pipelines lined every wall.
I pushed my sensors to their limit and advanced slowly.
On the edge of my sensor screen, unexplained noise began to flicker.
*Be careful. This isn’t like the game.*
I stayed alert, relying on game knowledge while guarding against the real dangers ahead.
How far had I gone?
The wide corridor suddenly ended. A massive crack split the floor.
The ground had completely collapsed, revealing only darkness far below.
In the game there had been a temporary bridge here, but nothing remained now.
“Damn it. Another variable.”
I used my sensors to carefully scan the structural stability of the opposite floor.
Fortunately, a solid landing surface was available.
I ignited my boosters for a short burst, leaped across the crack, and landed on the far side.
Dark ventilation shafts on the ceiling and hidden panels on the walls suddenly opened. A swarm of insectoid mechanical spider drones poured out.
“So that’s it!”
I reacted instantly.
I activated Kinetic Flow for a brief pulse, dodged the predicted firing arcs, and simultaneously launched the missile pods mounted on my shoulders.
Two small homing missiles struck and destroyed the two lead drones with pinpoint accuracy.
The remaining ones scattered in every direction, launching three-dimensional attacks.
Some carried energy bombs, while others slashed with razor-sharp metal claws, aiming to tear the machine apart.
I sliced through the charging spiders one by one with my Plasma Blade, then intercepted them with missiles.
“Ugh!”
One had burrowed into the cockpit’s blind spot and clamped onto my leg armor.
I spun the Bugbear sharply to throw it off, then split it in two with a precise Plasma Blade strike.
Warning lights began to flash on the damaged leg section.
My sensors were also affected; the screen filled with increasing noise.
*These aren’t the same as the mobs in the game. They’re far more aggressive and coordinated.*
After finishing the remaining drones, I discovered a faintly glowing object near the wreckage.
I approached cautiously. It was a damaged portable data pad.
I carefully retrieved it and connected it to the Bugbear’s system.
Most of the data was corrupted, but I found one recoverable log file.
[Prototype Designation: Atlas V Test Phase. Graviton Stability Collapse Imminent. Isolation Field Collapse Imminent. Chain Reaction Risk. Emergency Shutdown and Escape Procedure Initiated. Data Damage Noted.]
“Atlas V! Graviton!”
My heart pounded violently.
This was exactly the component I had been looking for.
It had to be here.
But the ominous words—Isolation Field Collapse, Chain Reaction Risk—worried me.
“Still, it’s solid proof it’s here.”
Following the intensifying energy signal, I headed deeper into the facility and finally reached the entrance of a massive circular space.
This was the access point to the zero-gravity isolation chamber I had known from the game.
“There’s probably a graviton damper beyond that door… or at least some clue.”
I approached the door carefully, scanning its surface.
Kugugugugu!
The entire floor suddenly vibrated violently. At the same time, every dormant red emergency light in the chamber flared to life and began to flash.
A piercing warning siren tore through the air.
“Damn it!”
I instinctively gripped my Plasma Blade tighter and stepped backward.
Right then, the floor beneath the central altar-like structure split open. With a heavy metallic grinding sound, something massive began to rise.
It was the boss—**XG-01 Aegis**—once called the Newbie Cutter.
Four heavy mechanical legs supported its colossal frame.
A 360-degree rotating upper body housed powerful twin laser cannons and a multi-launch missile system.
A massive hydraulic pincer arm aimed to crush anything it touched.
A single cold red optical sensor glowed atop its head.
It was far larger and more imposing than the in-game model.
Without any warning, the red sensor locked onto me.
Twin lasers on both arms began charging with a low hum.
“Fine by me. I’ve studied every pattern.”
I clenched the control yoke and muttered to myself, steeling my resolve.
“Basic attack patterns and weak points… I know you.”
The system flashed a warning.
[Warning! High-Output Energy Reaction Detected!]
The Aegis launched its first attack.
The reactor booster spewed energy. Time seemed to slow as the Bugbear slid sideways.
At that exact moment, two thick laser beams erupted from the Aegis’s arms, scorching the spot I had just occupied.
“So predictable!”
I didn’t miss the brief opening as the Aegis stalled after firing.
I launched the shoulder missile pods again.
Two small missiles streaked straight toward the red single-eye sensor.
-PEREPENG!
The missiles slammed into the transparent reinforced shield covering the sensor and detonated.
The damage was minor, but the game model had been notoriously tough in that area.
The Aegis immediately opened its shoulder-mounted multi-launch system and unleashed dozens of homing missiles at me.
A nightmare of evasive, homing fire.
I maintained Kinetic Flow and pushed the Bugbear’s mobility to the limit.
Using broken pillars and debris as cover, I dodged the missiles with razor-thin margins.
My new sensors revealed faint projected trajectories, while Kinetic Flow synced my reflexes almost perfectly with the machine’s movements.
But the Bugbear’s sluggish base movement was unavoidable.
Several missiles struck before I could avoid them.
Boom! Boom!
“Gah!”
The impact shook my reinforced armor. The cockpit swayed violently.
I’d survived, but warning lights blared everywhere.
The system was unstable from the shock, and the energy shield was long since depleted.
*Damn it… If it had been Asura, I would have dodged this easily and countered! This scrap heap can’t replicate perfect gameplay. The wall of reality is too high.*
I took cover behind a pillar, catching my breath and waiting for the next pattern.
The Aegis began recharging its laser cannons again.
This time it wasn’t a sweeping fire—it was a focused high-output blast.
And right after the blast, the leg joint armor would open temporarily to allow full mobility.
That was the weak point.
Just as predicted, a powerful laser beam slammed into the pillar I was hiding behind and shattered it.
I was already moving.
And the instant the Aegis began rotating its leg joint for the next action—
“Now!”
I ignited my boosters to maximum output and dove forward at low altitude.
I drew the Plasma Blade from my right arm and drove it deep into the thinnest section of the left front leg joint armor.
Kachagak! Zzzt!
Blue sparks exploded with the sharp metallic screech. The Aegis staggered and twisted wildly.
“Yes!”
But my cheer was short-lived.
The Aegis recovered balance far faster than the game model.
Enraged, it swung its massive hydraulic pincer arm at me.
“What the hell? Recovery speed is different!”
I recoiled in shock and backed away hastily.
The pincer came crashing down with a thunderous boom right in front of me.
The impact was powerful enough to crater the floor.
I would have been crushed into scrap if it had connected.
*Knowing patterns isn’t enough. Reality is different! It’s stronger than I thought!*
I kept my distance, resetting my stance.
The Aegis was clearly superior—faster, stronger, and its AI better than the game version. It wasn’t following a fixed pattern; it was reacting to my movements.
From now on, it was attrition.
I used Kinetic Flow sparingly, evading its attacks while probing for weak points. I scraped armor with the Plasma Blade and targeted joints or weapon connections with remaining missiles.
The Aegis relentlessly pressed me with its powerful lasers, missiles, and crushing pincer.
How much time had passed?
Energy reserves in the Bugbear plummeted rapidly. All missiles were exhausted.
The machine was ragged, and warning lights screamed from every system.
But the Aegis looked no better.
Its left front leg barely moved. Deep gashes from my Plasma Blade scarred its sensor area and weapon connections.
The red sensor’s glow had dimmed significantly.
*Almost there…!*
I squeezed out the last of my energy.
Then, like a final desperate act, the Aegis charged forward with its massive pincer, trying to snatch me.
I didn’t dodge the inevitable frontal clash.
The moment the colossal pincer clamped down, I slid the Bugbear downward and drove the tip of my Plasma Blade straight into the cooling system exhaust port beneath the abdomen—the only unarmored vital point from the game.
With the last of my strength, I plunged the blade deep inside the exhaust.
Kwahahaaah—!!!
A thunderous explosion erupted from within the Aegis.
The entire machine convulsed violently.
It staggered for a moment, then collapsed forward with a heavy thud, all power lost.
Kung!
I breathed heavily, still gripping the control yoke.
It was finally over.
I leaned against the damaged Bugbear and stared at the shattered remains of the colossal Aegis.
*Finally…*
At that instant, a familiar blue system window appeared in my vision.
It felt like encouragement after a grueling battle.
**Boss Entity XG-01 Aegis Defeated!**
[Special Reward: 20,000 CR]
[Acquired Items] - XG-01 Armor Fragments x5 - Damaged Aegis Laser Core x1 - Ancient Power Cells x3 - **[Key]** Isolation Chamber Access Card
Isolation Chamber Access Card.
Beyond that door lay the graviton damper.
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