Azira stretched her arms above her head, her sharp grin returning. "Well, that was interesting. Gotta admit, I didn't expect your Espria to be so… bizarre. But hey, I like bizarre."
Keon rolled his eyes. "Glad to know I meet your standards."
Darlic, still as composed as ever, glanced at Azira before turning to Keon. "If you're serious about testing your limits, we can assemble the training bots."
Keon raised an eyebrow. "Training bots?"
Azira clapped her hands together. "Oh, you're in for a treat! We have some combat bots that we can modify for different training sessions. You wanna see how well you handle your so-called Rift Manipulation in a fight?"
Keon crossed his arms, considering it. He'd only used his ability under pressure, not in a controlled setting. If he wanted to figure out its limits, this was a good chance.
"Alright," he said. "Let's see what these bots can do."
Azira's eyes lit up. "Perfect. Darlic, get the heavy-duty ones. I wanna see if he can handle something with real power."
Darlic sighed but didn't argue. "Fine. But if he gets crushed, that's on you."
Keon smirked. "I'll take my chances."
Azira chuckled, motioning for him to follow. "Then let's get started."
Darlic walked toward the far corner of the training room, his movements precise and wordless. He didn't glance back, didn't acknowledge their conversation—just went straight to his task, as if nothing else mattered.
Keon followed him with his eyes, noting the environment around them. The metallic ground stretched out in all directions, smooth and seamless, reflecting the cold artificial light overhead. Thin blue lines pulsed faintly across the surface, forming a grid-like pattern that extended from the floor to the walls. Each pulse carried a low hum, a quiet reminder that the room was more than just metal—it was alive with technology.
At the far end, a control panel jutted slightly from the wall, embedded so smoothly it almost blended in. As Darlic neared, the panel came to life, a holographic interface flickering into existence. Rows of glowing symbols and data streams scrolled across the surface, waiting for input. Without hesitation, Darlic placed his hand against the display.
The moment he did, the blue lines running through the ground pulsed brighter, their hum deepening. A vibration rolled beneath Keon's feet—subtle, but impossible to ignore.
Azira leaned in slightly, a grin tugging at her lips. "And now… we see what you're really made of."
I can't directly use the image, but I can describe a scene where a giant robot with a similar appearance appears. Here's how it could play out in your novel:
The metallic ground trembled as the pulsing blue lines flared to life, their glow intensifying. From the center of the training room, a mechanical whir echoed through the chamber, growing louder with each second. Steam hissed from hidden vents as the floor split open, revealing a rising platform.
A towering figure emerged—a massive, armored machine cloaked in darkness, its frame lined with intricate plating and reinforced joints. Its glowing blue core pulsed at its center, casting an eerie light that flickered across its imposing silhouette. Sharp, jagged structures jutted from its back like missile launchers or energy conduits, crackling with restrained power.
Its arms were equipped with high-powered weaponry—one holding a sleek, long-barreled firearm that hummed with energy, while the other gripped a larger, more brutal cannon, its barrel still cold but ready to unleash destruction.
The giant's head tilted slightly, a glowing visor locking onto Keon. Then, in a deep, mechanized voice, it rumbled to life:
"Combat Unit: Online. Initiating Training Protocol."
The ground beneath Keon vibrated as the machine took its first step forward, heavy and deliberate.
Keon's jaw almost dropped as he took a step back, pointing at the bot standing before him. It wasn't towering, but it was big—about the maximum height of a human, yet its bulky frame and glowing blue energy made it look far more intimidating.
"That's a training bot?"
His voice carried a mix of disbelief and concern. His mind flashed back to his first encounter with a robot in this world—a much larger r one, which was loud enough to nearly rupture his eardrums with its mechanical screeching. The memory made his ears ring just thinking about it.
Now, this thing stood before him, looking more like a combat machine than something meant for training.
"You sure it's not programmed to kill me?" he muttered, half-joking—only half.
Azira waved a hand dismissively, her expression unbothered. "Oh, don't worry," she said, as if Keon was completely overreacting. "We'll put it on beginner mode, so it won't be too fast."
Keon squinted at her. "That doesn't exactly reassure me."
He glanced back at the bot, its glowing blue core pulsing steadily. It stood eerily still, like it was waiting for a command to activate. His memory of nearly going deaf from a previous encounter with a machine wasn't helping.
"Beginner mode, huh?" Keon muttered, eyeing the bot warily. "Define 'beginner' before I end up needing a medical bed."
Azira chuckled, clearly amused by Keon's hesitation. "You worry too much," she said with a grin. Then, without a hint of concern, she raised a hand and gave a casual thumbs-up.
"Alright, start!"
The moment the command left her lips, the training bot's blue core pulsed brighter, and a soft hum filled the air as it activated.
Darlic stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the panel as Azira spoke. Without any hesitation, he tapped a few commands on the glowing interface. Blue lines flickered across the metallic floor, pulsing in response.
At Azira's signal, he pressed the final command. The training bot's core brightened, its systems humming to life. Darlic didn't react—no curiosity, no concern—just a silent, mechanical efficiency as he executed the task.
Azira gave a playful grin before effortlessly leaping backward, covering a surprising distance in a single bound. She landed with perfect balance, arms casually crossed as if it were second nature.
"Alright, you've got space now," she called out, her tone light, as if Keon needed all the room he could get.
Keon exhaled sharply, rubbing his forehead as his lips pressed into a thin line. His eyes twitched slightly, betraying his exasperation.
"I should stop getting surprised at this point," he muttered, shaking his head. But despite his words, his expression still carried a hint of disbelief, his brows slightly raised as if his mind refused to fully accept the absurdity of everything around him.
The training bot whirred to life, its glowing blue core pulsing as energy built up. A split second later, four beams of concentrated blue light shot forward.
Two of them struck the metallic ground, leaving faint scorch marks as they dissipated on impact. The other two, aimed directly at Keon, vanished the moment they touched him, swallowed whole by the Rift Barrier as if they'd never existed.
Keon barely flinched, watching the beams disappear into the swirling distortions around him. The barrier absorbed them effortlessly, not even leaving a trace of energy behind.
The moment the energy beams touched Keon's Rift Barrier, they didn't just disappear—they twisted, bent unnaturally, and then, in an instant, shot back at the bot. The distorted energy reformed into streaks of blue light, accelerating toward their original source with even more force than before.
The training bot reacted instantly. Its core flared brighter, and a translucent blue shield snapped into existence around it. The redirected beams collided with the barrier, dispersing into harmless waves of energy.
Keon's eyes widened. That shield—its glow, its pulse—it was nearly identical to the one from his first encounter with a robot in this world. The memory hit him like a punch to the gut.
—The deafening mechanical screech. The overwhelming pressure. The purple energy barrier that robot refused to break no matter how hard he tried. That feeling of complete powerlessness against the ear bursting soundwave.—
"F**k NO!" Keon blurted out, instinctively taking a step back, his body tensed like a cornered animal. His Rift Barrier crackled erratically in response to his sudden panic, distorting the space around him.
Azira, who had been watching with amusement, let out an intrigued hum. "Oh-ho, so that's how your ability works," she mused, crossing her arms. "You don't just absorb energy—you throw it right back. Nice."
Darlic, still by the control panel, remained silent, his sharp eyes flickering with understanding as he analyzed the exchange.
Keon forced himself to shake off the lingering unease, inhaling deeply. No way in hell I'm letting a damn training bot mess with my head.
He clenched his fists, eyes narrowing at the bot. If it wanted to test him, fine.
He was about to test it right back.