I had noticed what appeared to be large containers of blood-like liquid made of translucent metallic compound lining bits of the robot. My reasoning was that this would be the fuel of the robot and if I could take them all out, then the robot would obviously have no way to power itself.
Now the question remained of what the hell that liquid was but that was better left to when I wasn't actively trying not to die.
As for the plan, it was simple—
I rushed for the biggest container located directly at the centre of the automaton's chest and gave a smug smirk. The man inside obviously caught sight of this as he controlled the automaton's arms, immediately honing in on me.
Unfortunately, my speed enabled me to escape at the last possible moment, the arm colliding with that container of blood, spilling all of it onto the floor,"ARRRGH! YOU MERE ANT DARE TRICK ME? YOU DESERVE DEATH!"
BANG! CRACK!
Jackpot! I thought to myself, cackling heartily as I quickly escaped the oncoming barrage of flames that shot from small slots on the entire body of the machine with a mighty flap of my wings,"Ooh boy! Careful with fire you hunk of metal! You'll burn yourself!" I licked my lips as euphoria for landing my first decisive hit on it.
I had regained some semblance of control and that was all it took. For once you got a grasp of things and felt the thrum of battle in your veins, it would be like a snowball effect.
The hunt, was on.
For now, I landed with a dull thud, catching my breath as I panted heavily, sweat pouring down my body profusely. Flying, was extremely taxing on the mind and body as it was basically sprinting at full speed while your legs were partially numb. This was because wings were like a second pair of limbs. I'd only used it once prior and that was simply to dive down with a flap or two.
However, as if it possessed a life of its own, the blood shot towards me like a giant tidal wave of sanguine.
"Damn!" No matter how I dodged, the wave followed me like a damned fly, refusing to buck off. So, I resorted to tit-for-tat and turned around to face it only to find it slowly coalescing into a smooth red actinoid gem before my very eyes,"This is? Oh shit!"
97 lives remaining.
My moment of being entranced let to swift death but just after I'd managed to store the gem.
Blood magic and spirit magic fused together. I've never seen anything like th—
"Cut the crap. Main point." I hissed as I kept the star-shaped gem, dodging back with quick speed to avoid being crushed like before, taking to the skies as homing missile-like projectiles shot towards me. I led the projectiles on a wild goose chase, eventually managing to send them careening straight into the other containers, more blood spilling towards the floor as the giant machine staggered back from the force of its own weapons.
However, the blood remained as such until I landed and actually made contact with it. Only then did coalesced before me into the gems I quickly kept before buzzing off the automaton's foot rapidly crushed down on where I'd been just a moment prior, a smoking crater in its place.
The robot, while appearing bulky, had both might and speed that, had it not been for this unique power of mine, would've been impossible to knock back and dodge which would have rather rapidly and axiomatically led to my eventual death.
Amalgamations of dead souls bound by their blood. Kosmimarians are descendants of the ancient titan, Gaius, who ruled over the earth. This blood is nearly as pure as the original progeni—
"So what does it do? AH SHI—!" I was cut off abruptly as the automaton had abruptly cornered me with overwhelming quantity, crushing me between its arms as projectiles converged on all sides, effectively all paths of escape having been blocked.
96 lives remaining.
"HAHAHAHA! NOW THAT'S—IMPOSSIBLE!" Incredulity was evident in his voice as he saw me reform before his very eyes, all my wounds having completely healed.
I formed back into my human form as I revived and immediately switched to angel form as I narrowly avoided another death as its leg stomped down where I had just landed. I was growing rather irritated by the overwhelmingly effective strikes, feeling the cold irony of the words I'd said hit me.
You'll come to find, that despite your planning, your patience, your sub-par acting, the machine you hold so much value on. That in the face of attentiveness and overwhelming power, no amount of planning is going to save you.
I laughed bitterly at my words, wishing how I hadn't unknowingly jinxed myself with this large ego and overconfidence of mine that desperately wished to be stroked. Tom's words jolted me from my state of self-reflection.
It'll grant affinity to earth, metal and nature and naturally, the bloodline of a titan increasing strength. Absorb it orally.
BOOOOOM!
The large crystals overhead had slammed into the floor and coincidentally crushed my sorry figure before I could react. Lady luck was not on my side today.
95 lives remaining.
BAM!
"Fucking tell me that first next time!" I hissed as I shattered the crystals after switching to strength for a bit then back to speed, shoving a handful of crystals in my mouth before crunching down as a bitter taste spread. I had the urge to throw it up but with a bit of water, I gulped it all down in one go, the coppery taste of blood and some weird medicinal concoction still lingering on my tongue, making me gag.
I looked to my wrist. Six extra blue triangles stood, nearly doubling what I had in total,"Holy shit! 600 more in strength?"
Leaving 33 for speed, I now held the strength of 900.
Realising I had forgotten a very important thing in my minutes of panic, I roared with renewed vigour,"First form! Amplify!" A tenth triangle formed as the amplification took place, thirty triangles totalled.
Excitement and fury coursed through my veins as my body thrummed with might,"Now if this ain't enough to bring down a rank 6, I'll just go kill myself." I hoped to hell this would be enough to take the metal bastard down.
I saw the arm coming down and decided to take a gambit. Pulling my arm back, I collided head-on with the arm, a numbing sensation shooting up my arm as—
CRASH!
The automaton staggered back into the cavern walls, a shocked voice crying out,"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW COULD YOU HAVE REPELLED MY CENTURION?"
I was unable to find the strength to flap my wings and swiftly plummeted to my doom.
94 lives remaining.
The blood from cracked containers seemed to flow towards me even faster, more crystals sliding down my throat as the triangles only multiplied, totalling thirty-six under amplification as I continued to pile attacks, sacrificing my lives and internally wishing I had Lucius' six arms.
28 lives remaining.
That's right! Lucius! I need to hurry up!
"DIE ALREADY!" I growled as I landed another punch at an opening around the shoulder area made of some sort leather for flexibility, my panic at remembering Lucius' sorry state only made me speed up my attacks in a frantic attempt to end the fight faster. I desperately fought against my sick desire to play with my prey and focused on finishing this prick.
RIIIIP—!
The leather tore open at the third strike, revealing an intricate system of wires. I latched on like a parasite despite my sore body, using my strength to tear through everything and with a deafening crash with the remnants of my coursing rage and adrenaline pumped blood to function,"FUCKING DIE ALREADY!" I roared with all my strength, the robot groaning as its left arm dislodged, hanging by its side uselessly.
The robot lost complete control of its left arm, the last bits of the wire snapping under the metal arm's weight, slamming into the floor as the automaton crashed down along with it due to the lack of balance. I ducked into the intricate network of wires to avoid being crushed by the impact, the other arm and violent swinging in a desperate attempt to find me, breaking everything as I made my way into the mainframe. Looking up, I caught sight of a frantic looking king in a metallic bubble, sweat pouring down his forehead,"YOU BITCH! HOW DARE YOU DESTROY THIS KING'S ARM?! DO YOU DARE FIGHT ME?!"
He hadn't noticed that I had snuck in. My mana was rapidly being used up due to the amplification. Five minutes was the max with just amplification and with the beast form, three at most. I switched back to human, the total triangles falling to thirty again as I slithered and scaled the network and made it just below the bubble-like metal sphere which protected the bastard.
My hands were grabbing on to wires to hang there so I used my legs to kick open the sphere, coming face to face with the man who I had come to loathe despite having only talked once,"You..."
"We'll chat later in hell." I lunged forward and directly crushed his windpipe, the final thud of the machine sounded as it fell into deafening silence. I had no time to waste.
"Hup!"
Bang!
A large piece of metal that plated the the automaton shot into the skies and landed with a loud clatter.
I carved a path out of the machine and switched to angel form, turning all strength into speed as I climbed out and arrived beside Lucius. He was unconscious, bleeding profusely and in a generally terrible state. My heart ached as I poured all my remaining mana into healing his wounds.
My hubris caused this. This was my fault.
But I wasn't helpless this time. I had managed to save him.
My eyelids drooped bit by bit as pain and exhaustion overcame me slowly. I was utterly enervated, sapped of all my remaining strength.
I sighed softly in relief, seeing that his condition had stabilised. The affinity to nature had made the daunting task of healing with what little mana I had left a little easier. If it weren't for my sorry state, Id have switched to another form to make the healing easier.
I stood up and stared blankly at the cavern. It was utterly wrecked, tons of rubble from destroyed terraced houses and the light crystals which hung overhead now embedded into the floor, leaving only the bases, large craters of impact on the walls and floor remnants from the machine's gargantuan strength.
I saw a group of kosmimarians walking towards us. A sense of danger hit me,"No...I need to—"
I collapsed.