Beyond the Apocalypse

The battle raged on without pause. Vlad wielded his sword and relied on the Mark of Cain to carve wounds into the Dark Humanoid Automaton’s joints while Jormungandr launched wave after wave of lightning. Each slash from Vlad left a small opening that the Mark of Cain magnified, making it vulnerable to Jormungandr’s searing electrical arcs. The pair gradually wore down the construct’s formidable defenses by scorching the automaton from within.

Though the automaton’s movements became slower with each successive injury, it remained extremely dangerous. A single point-blank hit from the automaton could have severely injured Vlad or outright killed Jormungandr. Hence, the Sky Seed Depravitas moved with utmost caution, evading strikes by the narrowest margins.

In this tense stalemate, fifteen minutes ticked by. Vlad and Jormungandr’s bodies were soaked in sweat, their breaths turning ragged as the stress on their muscles and minds became ever greater. Their arms felt like lead, and the mental strain from orchestrating each maneuver—coordinating lightning arcs, maintaining precise sword strikes, and evading lethal blows—left their brains burning from overexertion.

However, the Dark Humanoid Automaton was not faring much better. Numerous cuts marred its critical joints—knees, ankles, elbows—slowing it to the point where the two Sky Seed Depravitas could dodge its attacks with less risk. It still swung with great power but too slow.

Finally, as their grueling clash approached the thirty-minute mark, the automaton trembled. Sparks danced around its body, and black smoke leaked from its seams. Then, in a decisive moment, it lowered its sword and collapsed with a resounding crash.

Wide, triumphant smiles broke across Vlad and Jormungandr’s faces at this sight.

"Success!" they shouted in unison, their voices echoing in the debris-strewn chamber.

Their strategy had worked exactly as planned. Confronting a Half-Step Legend automaton head-on in a direct contest of strength was impossible, and escape had also been out of the question. Therefore, they opted to deplete its power instead. No matter how formidable the construct was, it had apparently been sealed in this location for hundreds—maybe even thousands—of years, with no one to maintain it or recharge its energy core. Even if it had remained on standby, no battery was exempt from energy waste over time. Eventually, the combined stress of combat and compensating for its damaged joints drained its remaining reserves.

Of course, Vlad and Jormungandr refused to let down their guard prematurely. They employed their A.I. Chips to scan the automaton, confirming that it had truly powered down before letting out sighs of relief. Exhaustion washed over them, and they slumped against the rubble, every ounce of tension released.