Chapter 27: The fall of the Custodian Sentinel
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.