As the group trudged along the sand trail, sweat dripping and shoulders aching, a rocky formation came into view—a jagged, dark cave carved into the side of a low cliff.
Olorun's eyes lit up. "Yes! A cave! Finally—shade!"
Kenji groaned, dragging his feet. "Yeah… the sun's trying to murder me. I can feel my skin crisping."
A few more paces and they all collapsed inside the cave with various thuds and groans.
Chiyo dropped to her knees, fanning herself. "Finally! No more blinding sun…"
Timmy flopped down on her head, panting. "Yeh… I'm burning up like a marshmallow over a bonfire…"
Kawai curled up beside her and gave a weak, "Meep Meep…"
Kenji's eyes scanned the shadows warily. "Mmm. I don't trust this cave. The footsteps we were following lead right here…"
Tony crossed his arms. "Yeah… feels like someone's already—"
"LIKE ME."
The entire group spun around.
Standing deeper in the cave was a short figure with a wild mess of curly hair, a grease-stained lab coat barely hanging on his frame, and thick goggles dangling from his neck. He looked like he hadn't slept in days—or cared. Oil and dust caked his boots.
Eleo tilted his head. "Whoaaa… Timmy, is that your brother?"
"HEY!!" Timmy snapped, leaping in protest. "Not all of us short people are related!"
The strange figure let out a dry laugh. "Ha! I am P.Q., and I am not a Minari, you fool—I'm a dwarf."
He snapped his fingers dramatically, and a faint whir echoed through the cave.
"And this—" he gestured behind him, "—is my robot."
The shadows shifted, and a hulking metallic figure stepped forward. It was nearly 8 feet tall, gleaming with black-and-red plating, and its arms ended in rotating blades and extending claws. Its eyes glowed a menacing crimson.
Timmy's eyes nearly burst out of his head. "W-Wait a second… that design—that's… that's one of Dr. LoLo's robots!!"
P.Q.'s grin widened. "Ahhh, so someone recognizes genius when they see it."
Chiyo raised a brow. "Timmy… who's LoLo?"
Timmy gasped, completely appalled. "WHAT?! You don't know who Dr. LoLo is!? Are you living under a rock!?"
Chiyo blinked. "Well… we did just crawl into a cave—"
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"Dr. LoLo," Timmy continued, flailing dramatically, "is the smartest person across all the worlds! He created the Anitelogists, the MicroGlasses, the Ascendant Laser Guns, the Ships, Suits, and even tech used by the Supreme Council! He's a legend!"
Tony tapped his chin. "Huh… I think I've heard that name before. Thought it was a myth."
"Oh, he's real," P.Q. snapped. "And I'm going to track down every invention he ever made and surpass him. Starting with this beauty…"
He stepped back as the towering machine behind him took another step forward, the ground vibrating with every move.
"I present to you: the Hunter-Killer-Assassin Robot D1-41."
A loud metallic hiss echoed through the cave as the robot's arms shifted, blades gleaming, and it let out a cold, digitized voice:
"Target acquired. Executing combat mode."
The group instinctively back away, eyes narrowing.
"Here we go again…" Kenji muttered.
Suddenly, the foot booster on the D1-41's leg fired, launching the robot through the air like a missile.
"MEEP!!" Kawai squealed, eyes wide as he flipped backwards midair in a puff of dust, narrowly avoiding the mechanical rocket foot slamming into the ground where he had been a second earlier.
BOOOOM!
The ground shattered into a crater as the robot landed with a heavy metallic thud, its red eyes flaring. Hydraulic systems hissed as it crouched, scanning the group.
Kenji's blade was already drawn, gleaming under the cave light. Olorun cracked his knuckles with a grin.
"Time to take out the trash."
They charged.
"FINGER KNIFE!" Olorun yelled.
He lunged forward, his pinky extended unnaturally. With inhuman precision, his fingertip pierced straight toward the robot's joints and sensory ports in a blinding flurry. Each strike sounded like metal on glass—ting-ting-ting-ting—as sparks flew off the bot's armor. He ducked under a swing and spun around for a kill shot to the neck.
Kenji came in like a flash, yelling, "Don't hog the fun!!"
His blade arced with raw power, aiming straight for the chest plate. The two synchronized—Kenji slashing, Olorun jabbing.
But—CLANG!
D1-41 blocked both effortlessly with its arms, sparks flying as their attacks clashed against its indestructible plating. Its core lit up.
"This thing's built like a fortress!" Olorun growled.
"Then we break it from the inside!" Kenji barked.
Suddenly, Olorun vanished in a flicker of wind.
"INSTANT MOVEMENT!"
He appeared behind the robot with a thunderous CRACK, electricity building in his palm.
"LIGHTNING SPEAR!!"
Bolts danced around his arm, condensing into a jagged, humming spear of pure voltage. He launched it at point-blank range—but the D1 shifted at the last second.
ZZZZAAAPP!!
The lightning deflected midair and struck Kenji instead.
"GAAAHHH—!"
Kenji convulsed, smoking from the hit.
Olorun froze. "Oops…"
Kenji stomped toward him, still crackling with static, grabbed him by the collar. "You bastard. You zapped me."
Olorun grabbed his collar. "I DIDN'T MEAN IT, YOU VOLT-SUCKING IDIOT!!"
Suddenly—SHHHHHMMMM!
A shadow loomed over them. D1-41 raised both arms to slam down.
But from above—
Tony spun midair, landing on the robot's shoulder with ghostlike grace. As D1 turned its head, Tony slid down its arm, coiling his Bones with precise timing.
"SKELETON PALM!!"
His palm strike exploded forward—short, controlled, and devastatingly fast like a Wing Chun chain punch condensed into a single, perfect impact. The air cracked around his skeletal hand, reinforced by focused energy from his core.
THOOOM!
The blow landed squarely on D1's central chest plate, sending a shockwave through its frame and briefly staggering the giant machine. It was like watching water ripple through metal—fluid, powerful, and efficient. The robot reeled just long enough for Chiyo and Eleo to follow up.
Eleo spun midair, landing on the robot's shoulder, twisting, flipping, and clapping his hands together.
Ink oozed between his fingers.
"INK CANNON!!"
A massive blast of swirling black energy surged from his palms, cannon-like, hammering the bot's chest.
Simultaneously, Chiyo let loose a shriek.
"VAMPIRE CLAWS!!"
Her fingers morphed into razor-sharp crimson talons, and she twirled through the air in elegant spins, slicing down on the robot with precision. Crimson arcs slashed through the smoke-filled air.
Both attacks hit at once—BOOOOOOM!!
The robot disappeared in the blast as smoke engulfed the battlefield.
The three of them began to fall.
But Chiyo shouted, "Mini Cute Bats!!"
Little chibi-sized bats flapped out from her sleeves, caught all three of them mid-fall and gently carried them down like parachutes.
Eleo landed with a fist raised. "YEAH! We beat it!!"
Tony adjusted his goggles. "...I don't think so."
The smoke cleared slowly… and there stood D1-41. Not a scratch.
Chiyo's jaw dropped. "WHAT THE HELL—YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!?!"
The robot stepped forward silently, its eyes flaring.
Olorun narrowed his eyes. "Why the hell is it just… standing there?"
Tony's eyes focused. "Maybe… it's chosen who to kill first."
BZZZMMM—!
The bot teleported.
"ELEO!!" Chiyo screamed.
Eleo's eyes widened—too slow.
CRAAAAACK!!
D1's punch connected square with Eleo's chest, launching him like a cannonball into the cave wall. The rock shattered.
Kenji roared, "YOU BASTARD!!" and dashed, blade gleaming purple.
But D1 ducked, spun low, and kickflipped him into the air like a ragdoll.
Olorun and Chiyo rushed together.
But the robot was faster. It extended both arms, grabbed their faces—SLAM! Crashed them into each other like cymbals—and hurled them aside.
Smoke and dust filled the air again.
Now only Tony stood, cape fluttering, staring across the broken ground.
D1's head rotated toward him. "Target acquired. Next opponent: Skeleton."
Tony tightened his gloves and smirked, eyes narrowing. "Heh… Bring it, tin can."
