Extra's Revenge: Reincarnated As A Slave-Chapter 93: Combat Construct Alpha

The speed was inhuman.

One moment, the construct stood at the entrance, the next it was inside Rey’s guard, multiple blades extending from its forearms aimed at his vital points.

Only the perception ring saved him. Rey’s enhanced senses barely registered the movement in time, his body twisting desperately as the blades scraped along his ribs.

The defensive necklace activated again, absorbing most of the impact, but Rey felt another significant drain on its reserves.

The construct didn’t pause. It flowed into a second attack, then a third, each strike coming from impossible angles with impossible speed. Blades retracted and extended from various points on its body—shoulders, elbows, even its legs—creating a constantly shifting array of threats.

Rey retreated, his speed bracers barely keeping him ahead of the relentless assault. This wasn’t like fighting human opponents—there was no fatigue, no hesitation, no psychological warfare. Just pure, mechanical efficiency in pursuit of its objective.

’It’s faster than me,’ Rey realized with cold clarity. ’Even with the bracers. And it doesn’t have to worry about stamina.’

The construct pressed forward, and Rey noticed something else—its body was adapting. Where he’d dodged left, it adjusted its attack patterns to cover that direction more heavily. Where he’d blocked with his bracers, it concentrated strikes on unprotected areas.

It was learning from every exchange.

Rey’s hand dipped into his spatial belt, this time not for an Artifact but for a Scroll. His fingers closed around one marked with Spirit Art symbols—specifically, Inferno Technique.

He’d never used Spirit Art before.

His sole affinity was Chaos Art, making the other Arts inaccessible through normal means. But these Scrolls from the Desgarron vault changed everything.

’I’ve seen Amara use Spirit Art on multiple occasions, though, and I’ve fought opponents who have used it before, so I can’t say I’m inexperienced...’

Besides, he recognized that he wouldn’t be doing ost of the work anyway.

Rey activated the Scroll while dodging another blade strike.

"Inferno Technique #6: Ashfall Descent."

The Scroll ignited in his hand, its stored Ether flowing out in a predetermined pattern. Rey didn’t need to understand Spirit Art or possess its affinity—the Technique was already complete, merely waiting for activation.

The ceiling of the observation chamber erupted with fire.

Not normal fire—this was mystical flame that fell like burning snow, covering everything below in continuous, smoldering ash. The temperature in the chamber spiked instantly, metal surfaces beginning to glow red from the heat.

The construct’s assault faltered as its sensors registered the environmental change. Its body, composed of enchanted metals, began to heat under the continuous bombardment of burning fallout.

Rey used the moment of disruption to retreat further, putting distance between himself and the machine while the Ashfall Descent continued its work.

But the construct adapted.

Panels on its body slid open, revealing cooling systems that vented excess heat. Its outer armor began shedding the accumulated ash through vibration, preventing buildup that would have eventually damaged its systems.

’Of course it has countermeasures,’ Rey thought, watching the machine recover. ’A Duke’s personal protector would be designed to handle attacks of this level.’

The construct charged again, moving through the falling ash without apparent difficulty now that its cooling systems had compensated.

Rey activated another Scroll.

"Tempest Technique #6: Thunder Ring!"

Lightning erupted in a circular pattern around Rey, creating a barrier of electrical discharge that crackled with devastating power. The construct, mid-charge, couldn’t stop its momentum in time.

It hit the Thunder Ring and convulsed violently as electricity coursed through its metal body. Systems sparked and failed, smoke rising from damaged circuits.

But it didn’t stop.

The construct pushed through the lightning field, its advanced construction allowing it to withstand damage that would have destroyed lesser machines. It emerged on Rey’s side of the barrier, damaged but functional, and immediately resumed its assault.

A blade extended toward Rey’s throat. He deflected it with his bracer, but the force of the impact sent him staggering backward.

Another blade came from below, aimed at his stomach. Rey twisted, felt it scrape against his side, drawing blood where it slipped past his defenses.

The defensive necklace shattered completely, its reserves finally depleted.

Rey was running out of options and defensive measures.

The construct pressed its advantage, its attacks becoming more aggressive now that it had registered Rey’s protective Artifact failing. Blades extended and retracted in a dizzying pattern, each strike coming closer to finding lethal purchase.

Rey’s gauntlet caught one blade, the force-generating enchantment holding it momentarily. But three more blades extended from other limbs, all converging on his exposed position. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He released the caught blade and activated his speed bracers at maximum output, throwing himself backward in a desperate evasion. The bracers cracked under the strain—they weren’t designed for such intensive use—but they gave him the burst of speed needed to escape immediate death.

Rey landed badly, his injured ribs screaming in protest.

Blood ran down his side from where the blade had scored a hit.

His Ether reserves were dropping rapidly from maintaining the active Techniques and powering his Artifacts.

’Need to end this,’ he thought grimly. ’Can’t sustain much longer.’

The construct advanced through the still-falling ash and dissipating lightning field. It showed damage—scorch marks on its armor, exposed wiring where panels had failed—but remained deadly.

Rey reached for another Scroll.

Inferno Technique #5: Flame Sovereignty

This one was different—not an attack, but a dominion technique. The moment Rey activated it, all fire within the observation chamber answered to his will.

The Ashfall Descent, still raining from the ceiling, suddenly intensified. The flames that had been scattered and diffuse concentrated into focused streams, all converging on the construct.

The machine’s cooling systems tried to compensate, but Flame Sovereignty overrode their efficiency. The fire didn’t just heat the construct’s exterior—it infiltrated through vents and damaged panels, attacking internal systems directly.

The construct staggered, its movements becoming jerky as critical components overheated. Smoke poured from multiple breach points in its armor.

But it still didn’t fall.

Instead, it adapted again.

The construct’s chest opened, revealing a weapon system Rey hadn’t seen before—a concentrated energy projector that glowed with barely contained power.

’Artillery,’ Rey realized with alarm. ’It has ranged capabilities too.’

The projector fired.

A beam of pure destructive force lanced across the chamber.

Rey threw himself sideways, but the beam tracked his movement with automated precision. It caught his shoulder, and even his enhanced body couldn’t fully withstand the impact.

Flesh burned. Bone cracked. Rey felt his left arm go partially numb as nerve damage registered.

The beam swept across the chamber, carving through walls and support structures. The observation chamber began to destabilize, sections of the ceiling starting to collapse from the structural damage.

Rey activated another Scroll through the pain.

"Construction Technique #7: Living Terrain!"

The floor beneath the construct suddenly came alive, responding to Rey’s will as mediated through the Technique. Stone flowed like water, forming grasping hands that seized the machine’s legs.

The construct tried to pull free, but the Living Terrain adapted to its struggles, constantly reforming and reinforcing its grip. Metal feet sank into stone that had become semi-liquid, trapping the machine in place.

Rey didn’t waste the opportunity.

He activated his cutting dagger and charged, using his remaining speed to close the distance while the construct was immobilized. The blade found the damaged sections of armor where fire had already weakened defenses.

Rey drove the dagger deep into the construct’s core, carving through enchanted metal and crystallized Ether. The machine convulsed, trying to activate its energy projector again, but Rey was too close—he grabbed the weapon with his gauntleted hand and crushed it with enhanced strength before it could fire.

The dagger carved deeper, finding critical systems. Power conduits severed. Ether reservoirs ruptured. The construct’s movements became increasingly erratic.

But it wasn’t finished yet.

With a final surge of programmed survival instinct, the construct activated what must have been a self-destruct mechanism. Its core began to glow with unstable energy, building toward a catastrophic overload.

’It’s going to explode,’ Rey realized, seeing the telltale signs of an Ether detonation building. ’Take me with it if it can’t kill me directly.’

He had seconds at most.

Rey activated his final prepared Scroll.

"Construction Technique #6: Cradle Wall!"

Matter from the surrounding chamber—broken viewing screens, collapsed ceiling sections, even the bodies of fallen guards—all flowed together at Rey’s command. The Construction Technique formed them into a protective barrier around the construct, containing the machine and its building detonation.

Rey threw himself backward, using his speed bracers one final time. The bracers shattered completely under the strain, their enchantments burning out, but they gave him the distance he needed.

The construct exploded.

Even contained by the Cradle Wall, the detonation was tremendous. The protective barrier held for perhaps half a second before failing catastrophically, but that half-second saved Rey’s life.

The shockwave still caught him, throwing him across the chamber and into a wall with bone-breaking force. His vision went white with pain as his already-injured ribs took another impact.

When his vision cleared, the observation chamber was a ruin. The construct was gone—nothing remained but scattered metal fragments and dissipating Ether.

The Cradle Wall had been destroyed!