The Sidarco Type I robot locked onto Caelum the moment it stabilized its position in midair.

"Target acquired. Initiating combat sequence."

A sharp red glow flickered across its optical sensors.

In the next instant, its entire frame hummed as energy surged through its systems.

Without any hesitation, it opened fire.

Dozens of energy blasts were launched in rapid succession, each one streaking through the air with terrifying speed, forming a dense barrage that completely covered Caelum’s position.

Boom boom boom!

Explosions erupted one after another, overlapping into a continuous storm of destruction.

The surrounding terrain was instantly reduced to rubble, the ground collapsing under the relentless bombardment.

Dust, flames, and shockwaves spread outward in all directions.

"This thing..."

Caelum’s expression shifted slightly.

He activated Flight Technique and rose into the air, weaving through the explosions with precise movements, avoiding each blast by a narrow margin.

At the same time, a hint of curiosity appeared in his eyes.

"This isn’t energy... not the same kind, anyway."

The robot clearly wasn’t using the same internal life force that martial artists relied on.

Its power source was something entirely different.

Because of that, Caelum couldn’t sense its presence through energy perception, nor could he accurately determine its power level.

Still

based on its destructive capability alone

it was easy to estimate.

"Roughly on par with that dojo master... around 110."

Not weak.

But not enough.

Whoosh!

His figure vanished.

The next moment, he appeared directly in front of the robot.

His fist came down with explosive force.

Bang!

The Sidarco Type I was sent flying over a hundred meters, its body smashing through debris before finally crashing into the ground.

Caelum landed lightly, watching it.

"So it’s durable."

That was his first conclusion.

The robot had taken a direct hit and only showed slight deformation in its outer shell.

If it had been normal metal, that punch would have reduced it to scrap instantly.

"Hard... but not invincible."

More importantly

it was slow.

Not completely immobile, but compared to his speed, it was clearly lacking.

One exchange was enough.

Caelum had already identified its weakness.

And once he identified a weakness

he acted immediately.

He moved again, closing the distance in a flash.

"Structural damage detected. Damage rate: 3%."

Inside the robot, its core processor continued operating at full efficiency.

The previous strike had not affected its main systems.

Combat data was analyzed instantly.

Strategy updated.

Close-range combat was deemed unfavorable.

The opponent’s speed and reaction time exceeded acceptable thresholds.

However

the robot had its own advantage.

Energy reserves.

Unlike humans, it did not tire.

A faint hum echoed.

A pale blue barrier expanded outward, enveloping its entire body in a seamless defensive field.

At the same time

Caelum reappeared.

He raised his hand.

Energy gathered along his palm, compressing into a thin, blade-like edge.

The two figures crossed paths in a single instant.

A clean motion.

No hesitation.

Crack.

The barrier split.

The robot followed.

It was cut cleanly into two halves.

Electric arcs burst from the severed frame.

For a brief moment, it remained intact.

Then

Boom!

It exploded into scattered fragments.

The result was clear.

While the robot possessed greater energy reserves

its output intensity was inferior.

Caelum had the advantage.

A small metallic chip fell near his feet.

Caelum glanced down briefly, then crushed it underfoot.

"What exactly is going on here?"

He raised his head and looked toward the horizon.

Something was coming.

In the distance

countless black dots appeared.

They grew larger at an alarming rate, each trailing a stream of exhaust flames as they approached.

Not one.

Not a handful.

Hundreds.

Every single one

a Sidarco Type I robot.

Meanwhile, inside the laboratory

Dr. Sidarco stood before the screen, eyes wide with excitement.

The data stream was flowing in nonstop.

Combat footage, reaction speeds, energy output, attack patterns.

Every detail was being captured and analyzed.

His entire body trembled slightly.

"This is it... this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for..."

"The perfect subject."

His voice grew louder, almost manic.

"As long as I obtain his complete combat data, my ultimate creation will finally be realized!"

Behind him

a sealed chamber stood silently.

Inside, a humanoid figure floated in suspension.

Its form was nearly identical to a human.

Perfect proportions.

Perfect structure.

Yet incomplete.

Sidarco had refused to activate it.

Not without the perfect data.

Now

that missing piece had appeared.

"With my technology... and his combat data..."

His eyes gleamed.

"The strongest artificial being will be born."

Back on the battlefield

Caelum watched the approaching swarm.

Instead of concern

a faint sense of anticipation rose within him.

"Good."

"Perfect for testing something new."

Boom!

Energy erupted.

He activated Energy Burst.

A violent surge of power exploded outward from his body, forming a visible aura that flickered like flames.

His power level doubled instantly.

From 120

to 240.

The difference was immediate.

His entire presence changed.

Without waiting

he moved.

Faster than before.

Stronger than before.

He charged directly into the swarm.

Like a predator diving into prey.

Bang!

One robot shattered instantly.

Bang!

Another exploded midair.

Under the amplified power

their previously durable bodies felt fragile.

Like breaking through soft material.

Explosion after explosion filled the sky.

The robots reacted quickly.

They shifted formation and focused their attacks.

Energy blasts flooded the area from every direction, forming a dense net of firepower.

But

they couldn’t lock onto him.

His speed had already surpassed them.

Now it was completely out of reach.

To them

he was nothing more than a fleeting shadow.

They became targets.

One after another

they were destroyed.

At the same time

a familiar glow appeared.

Even against machines

Super Drop Rate still worked.

A stream of light entered his body.

[Super Drop Rate triggered]

[Ability acquired: Data Intrusion]

[Keep?]

[Yes]

The moment he accepted it 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

he understood its function.

Moments later

only one robot remained.

Caelum deliberately held back.

He struck it just enough to cripple it.

Then he stepped forward.

Activated the ability.

Data Intrusion.

His consciousness connected directly to the machine’s internal systems.

Information flooded in.

At the same time

inside the laboratory

Sidarco burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! With this data, everything is finally within reach!"

Suddenly

alarms blared.

The spherical assistant reacted instantly.

"Warning. Target is infiltrating the system through Sidarco Type I."

Sidarco’s expression froze.

"Disconnect immediately!"

But it was already too late.

The connection was cut

but in those brief seconds

Caelum had already accessed a massive amount of data.

Identity.

Location.

Research files.

All of it.

He stood still, processing everything.

"Dr. Sidarco..."

"Combat robots... data collection..."

"Artificial human project..."

"And..."

His eyes sharpened.

"Super cells."

Everything else was irrelevant.

That

was not.

A clear interest appeared in his gaze.

The concept was simple.

Super cells were an engineered biological structure.

Created through extensive experimentation, combining biotechnology, secret arts, and magic.

Their properties were extraordinary.

Rapid regeneration.

Extreme adaptability.

Unlimited replication.

They could survive in nearly any environment.

Recover from almost any damage.

As long as even a single cell remained

regeneration was possible.

More importantly

each regeneration made them stronger.

They evolved through damage.

Adapted through destruction.

An ever-improving lifeform.

That was why Sidarco called his creation the ultimate warrior.

Because the potential of super cells

was effectively limitless.

And now

Caelum wanted it.