Deus in Machina (a Warhammer 40K-setting inspired LitRPG)

Spirit took off, floating away at a speed Angar had a hard time keeping up with, soon turning to the right and disappearing through a much bigger and grander door.

As he approached, the smooth door hissed as it shot upwards, vanishing into the wall above.

He followed, his bare feet silently pressing into the foam floor, entering a perfectly shaped and straight artificial passage that stretched wide and high, and went on for a long, long way.

Another flying machine Spirit had called a drone whirred from behind with red lights pulsing like angry eyes. "Warning! Non-compliance and violent acts are not tolerated during emergencies. Comply or face immediate consequences. Continued non-compliance or aggression will trigger lethal force protocols."

Angar approached. "Comply immediately or face termination," it blared with a sharp and grating voice.

Angar swiped at it with his maul. The dimly glowing chert-head arced through the air at it, but the drone was too quick. It dodged, banking left gracefully.

It broadcast louder, "Non-compliance detected. Lethal response protocols activated."

A panel on its underside slid open, revealing a glowing thing. A beam of searing light shot forth, aimed at Angar's chest. He wasn't expecting and wasn't prepared for an attack like that. Burning pain flaring where it landed.

The beam-emitter glowed again. He dove away. The beam scorched the floor where he'd stood, leaving a smoking hole in the foam.

The drone's beam fired again, and Angar dove again, barely avoiding it, the heat singeing his skin as it passed. He leapt, his maul swinging through the air, clanking on the edge of his opponent.

The drone warbled and tried flying away, but Angar hit it full on with a hard blow. The impact shattered its shell, sending sparks erupting all over as it spiraled into the wall, bounced off, and landed on the floor.

He hit it a few more times before glancing towards Spirit, who floated ahead without comment. He ran after her, leaving the drone's wreckage crackling behind him.

Spirit took a new passage, and Angar followed, emerging into a wide, open gallery. The space was vast, and its walls glinted with faint strips of light.

Spirit stopped and calmly said, "Get ready to fight," then darted into another large chamber.

Angar charged after, his maul raised, prepared for glorious battle.

The chamber had many metal machines within, some arriving from side passages, all on the far side of the chamber.

Three drones hovered with red lights pulsing and beam-emitters glowing.

There were three machines shaped somewhat like men, two of which were much larger and more imposing. Those two advanced as spinning blades extended out the end of their arms. The smaller man-machine blared out "Warning! Lethal force authorized."

Two machines looked almost shaped like a d'klar, sleek and predatory things on four legs, but were much smaller than those great beasts, and flanked the smaller man-machine as their eyes glowed menacingly.

The drones flew forward, making the journey in a flash.

Angar charged the nearest drone, swinging, but it banked away too quickly and fired a beam. He twisted away, but not fast enough, and the light seared into his bicep, nearly causing him to drop his hammer as he grunted out in pain.

He noticed these machines didn't move when firing. He dove away from another drone's beam, and as soon as his target's beam-emitter glowed brighter, he swung his maul, smashing its underside, sending sparks raining down as it crashed.

The second drone dove forward as he rolled aside, its beam almost getting him. He rolled towards the third drone. As it prepared to fire, he leapt, crushing it mid-air and sending its wreckage clanking off a wall.

The last drone banked, firing, and Angar rolled, the beam scorching some shiny thing he hid behind. He rolled backwards near the first drone's corpse, hurled a broken piece of it, striking the last drone square on, sending it plummeting, exploding in a shower of metal.

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Then the two larger man-machines closed in with their hand-blades whirring. "Non-compliance detected. Terminate," one intoned as it slashed.

Angar parried with his maul's head, the blade screeching against sanctified chert in a shower of sparks. The second man-machine lunged, its blade aimed at his neck.

Angar spun away, smashing its arm, snapping it off, then slammed his maul into its chest, crumpling it inward. It staggered back, the humming noise it made becoming a whine, then its lights died.

The first man-machine slashed again, managing to cut his thigh, sending a spray of blood out, but Angar crushed its head in retribution, propelling it backwards to the ground where it stayed unmoving.

He turned. The small man-machine hadn't moved, but the d'klar-machines by its side ran forward in a blur, moving much faster than he assumed they could, much faster than d'klars could move.

One of the d'klar-machines leapt in, some type of crackling thing poking out of its chest. Like the beam emitter of the drones, this crackling thing fired, and the projectile it shot forward struck Angar's chest.

Pain exploded, a strange type that felt almost like lightning. He noticed the projectile lodged in his chest was connected to the crackling thing poking out of the machine still. He yanked on it, sending the machine flying to him. He seized its leg and hurled it into the second d'klar-machine, sending both crashing to the ground.

The one he threw rose, the crackling-thing beginning to glow again. Angar ran forward and stomped its head before it could fire, then stomped its body, crushing its frame inward, but also cutting deep into his foot.

As he stomped again, sparks flew, lights flickered, and the air filled with the screech of grinding metal. The second d'klar-machine lunged.

These machines didn't look like they had mouths. He was worried about the crackle-emitter, so he was avoiding where that thing was aimed. He wasn't worried about the head at all, not until it opened into a mouth and bit into his leg, the teeth piercing deeply into his flesh.

He brought his hammer down on it with tremendous force, and then again, and again, until its lights stopped shining.

The smaller man-machine blared, "Lethal force engaged. Terminate." It raised an arm, and where a hand should be emerged the same type of crackle-emitter the d'klar-machines had in their chests.

Angar charged as a sparkling projectile connected to a cord flew at him. He spun around it and continued towards his target. The cord fell from the machine's arm and a new sparkling projectile appeared and shot at Angar.

He spun around this one too, sending his maul smashing into his enemy, crushing its torso, shutting it up.

The chamber was littered with wreckage and flickering sparks. Angar, blood dripping from his wounds, hoped Theosis would send a message praising this victory.

Spirit floated over. "More robots are coming. Let's go. There's a better room to fight them all in nearby."

Angar grunted. He hoped he'd get a chance to tend his wounds beforehand.

He liked fighting these machines. He felt like he was learning a lot. He hoped there were many more types of them. More powerful ones that put up a better fight.

The two made their way to the room he was to fight in. It was smaller, with only one entrance.

There, he made his stand, and machine after machine broke on his sanctified maul. Wave after wave came, giving him glorious battle, a nearly endless stream of it.

He found out there were many more types of machines, but the ones that came later were less adept at fighting, so as his injuries piled up, his enemies weakened, which worked out well.

The battle lasted a long, grueling span of time. It felt like days. He had no way to tell.

When it was over, he had many more injuries weeping blood, and his skin itched like mad, but Theosis sent him a new message.

Behold, Holy Knight. Though these iron-clad foes were neither the accursed Hellspawn nor the vile Heretic, in the Three's name, your hammer has made a hymn of righteous slaughter, its notes drenched in the blood of the unworthy.

The all-seeing gaze of Theosis, the Divine System, pierces the veil of your soul, witnessing your struggle to correct past mistakes. It commends you, Crusader, for now embracing your vows with the utmost solemnity.

It praises your efforts to purge this beleaguered world of the spawn of Hell. Against the wicked undead and the merciless reavers, you have wrought victories bathed in the searing light of purity, your wrath a relentless storm, your glee a righteous exultation in the crucible of war.

The Holy Empire demands more of such fervent zeal, Crusader, until our last foe is cast down, or you are exalted as a blessed martyr, your name enshrined in the Litany of Heroes. Hold fast to the faith, let hatred for the spawn of Hell blaze within your heart, guiding you along the blood-soaked path of glory.

Though such perilous deeds fall more readily to the hallowed ranks of The Arm of the Divine chapter, or the shadowed blades of the various Free Agencies, you are present, your flesh already scourged by the deadly kiss of radiation, and Imperial Law allows abeyance of the Parousia Protocols in this instance.

Thus, Theosis, in Its infinite wisdom, commands you: venture further into the Steadfast, that ancient ark of mankind, to the drive core. Awaken the ship's Director AI.

Upon your success, a Glorious Achievement, coveted by all, shall be bestowed, and your trial of purification shall be ended.

Hasten, for the drive core bleeds zero-point-energy radiation, a silent reaper that gnaws at your mortal coil. Perform this sacred task with utmost speed, then extinguish all power of the Steadfast, even the flickering embers of emergency power that have sustained it, lest the radiation claim you.

For God and Empire!

Angar's blood-slick hand tightened around the maul, the itch beneath his skin flaring as if the radiation itself answered Theosis' call.

"Our goal was always the core drive," stated Spirit. "I told you we'd try for that Glorious Achievement. First, we're heading to the only medical bay along the way. You'll never survive a fight against all the engimachs as wounded as you are. Come."