Chapter 42: The Empire Has No Use for Weakness

Three hours later...

Arthur could be seen walking down a massive hallway bathed in crimson lighting.

The metallic floor clanked beneath his boots with every step, the sound echoing throughout the otherwise silent corridor.

He continued forward without saying a word.

Eventually, he arrived at a massive chamber.

Several enormous metal doors were embedded into the walls, each one leading toward a separate testing area.

An Imperial officer stood beside one of the doors.

He wore a combat suit similar to Arthur’s, though far more advanced, with several reinforced metallic plates covering his body.

His arms were folded behind his back as he stood perfectly straight.

The moment Arthur approached, the officer turned his head and glanced at him.

Before he could say anything—

Hissss!

The metal door beside him suddenly slid open.

A young cadet stepped out.

His right arm was missing from the elbow down, the exposed mechanical components still giving off faint sparks.

His helmet was also heavily damaged.

The left side of it was cracked open, revealing strands of white hair and a pair of crimson eyes.

Despite his injuries, the young cadet remained standing.

He looked toward the officer and immediately raised his remaining hand toward his chest.

"Sir. It is done."

His hand stopped against his chest.

He had attempted to perform the Imperial salute.

But with his right arm missing, he could only complete half of the motion.

The officer didn’t seem bothered.

"Excellent."

He glanced at the display on his wrist.

"Combat Rating: 3.8 Stars."

He looked back at the cadet.

"You pass."

The young cadet nodded.

"Yes, sir."

He then turned around and walked toward the other cadets waiting nearby.

They stood in several orderly rows.

None of them looked particularly well.

One cadet had a cracked helmet.

Another had several deep scratches running across his chest plate.

A third was missing part of his left leg, the damaged mechanical limb occasionally twitching as he stood at attention.

Others had visible dents and burn marks across their armor.

Some were covered in blood.

Yet not a single one of them complained.

They simply stood there in silence.

Waiting.

Arthur’s gaze swept across them.

So this is what the final assessment looks like...

The officer finally turned his attention toward him.

"Cadet 81."

"Step forward."

Arthur immediately stepped forward.

Clank.

His boot struck the metallic floor.

The officer studied him for several seconds.

"Enter the chamber."

Arthur glanced toward the massive metal door.

Beyond it...

He could hear faint mechanical noises.

"Your assessment will begin the moment the door closes."

Arthur nodded.

Without hesitation, he walked toward the entrance.

The massive metal doors slowly opened.

Crimson light spilled from within.

Arthur stepped inside.

Then—

Hissss.

The doors slammed shut behind him.

〘COMBAT ASSESSMENT INITIALIZING...〙

〘PREPARE FOR COMBAT.〙

The notification appeared directly within Arthur’s vision through the Imperial Neural Link.

Arthur’s expression remained calm.

His right hand slowly moved toward his waist.

Shing!

He drew his blade.

The polished metal reflected the crimson light illuminating the chamber as Arthur lowered the weapon to his side.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then—

Clank.

Clank.

Clank.

Heavy footsteps began echoing from the darkness ahead.

Arthur raised his eyes.

Six figures soon emerged from the shadows.

They were men.

Unlike the Imperial cadets, they weren’t wearing combat suits.

Instead, each of them wore simple orange inmate clothing.

Their expressions varied.

Some looked nervous.

Others looked excited.

But one thing was immediately obvious.

They weren’t ordinary prisoners.

Metallic components could be seen beneath their skin.

Mechanical joints replaced parts of their bodies.

Small implants glowed faintly beneath their flesh.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

Then—

The voice of the instructor suddenly echoed directly inside his head.

"Cadet 81."

Arthur remained silent.

"For your final assessment, you are expected to prove your worth in combat against these six death-row inmates."

The Neural Link soon ran a facial recognition program, indeed identifying them as death-row inmates.

Arthur’s gaze narrowed.

The instructor continued.

"Each inmate has been equipped with three different Generation Four implants specifically selected to aid them in this combat assessment."

Arthur’s expression remained unchanged.

"If they manage to kill you, they will be granted complete freedom from all charges."

A brief pause.

"They will also be permitted to keep the implants."

"Your objective is simple."

"End their lives using only the gear provided to you."

Arthur glanced down at his blade.

The instructor continued.

"You should be equipped with three to four Generation Two implants and standard-issue anti-personnel weaponry. The disadvantage is intended to properly measure—"

"Negative, sir."

There was a brief silence.

The instructor’s voice returned.

"Negative what?"

"I’m only using the standard-issue weaponry."

Arthur tightened his grip around the blade.

"No need for implants."

Silence.

Then the instructor let out a quiet chuckle.

"Quite the confidence, I see."

Arthur’s expression remained indifferent.

The instructor continued.

"I hope it doesn’t dig you an early grave."

A faint mechanical hum suddenly echoed throughout the chamber.

The six inmates slowly spread out.

One of them cracked his neck.

Another flexed his mechanical fingers.

A third crouched slightly, his eyes glowing with an unnatural crimson light.

Arthur stood alone in the center of the chamber.

Six death-row inmates.

Eighteen Generation Four implants.

And nothing but standard Imperial equipment.

The instructor’s final words echoed inside his mind.

"You may begin."

Silence.

For one brief moment, nobody moved.

Then—

BOOM!

The floor beneath one of the inmates exploded.

His body shot forward like a missile.

Arthur’s eyes sharpened.

...Genesis dear.

〘On it, master...〙

Suddenly...

Reddish circuitry patterns spread across Arthur’s right eye.

The world suddenly changed.

For a brief moment, Arthur saw the next three seconds unfold before him.

The inmate’s muscles tensed.

His right foot pushed against the floor.

His fist accelerated toward Arthur’s face.

Every movement became painfully clear.

Arthur moved.

Arthur’s body shifted sideways.

The inmate’s fist passed within an inch of his face.

BOOM!

The punch slammed into the metallic floor.

The entire chamber shook.

The metal floor dented on the impact point.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

Generation Four implants are no joke...

The inmate immediately twisted his body.

His mechanical arm swung toward Arthur again.

Arthur raised his blade.

Clang!

The fist collided with the flat of the blade.

The force behind the attack pushed Arthur several meters backward.

The amount of force actually sent a jolt up his shoulders.

His boots scraped against the metallic floor.

Arthur quickly stabilized himself.

The inmate grinned.

"Got you!"

A second figure suddenly appeared behind Arthur.

Arthur’s eyes shifted.

Another one.

The man’s right arm suddenly transformed.

Metallic plates slid apart, revealing a glowing barrel embedded within his forearm.

A flash of light erupted.

BANG!