Chapter Text
V1 is a humanoid machine, whose only purpose upon its production is to feed off the blood of its enemies.
To fight, to kill, and to surrvive.
However, unlike other machines built with the same purpose, this one has an advanced state-of-the-art built-in AI system. This allowed it to acquire and store information in its RAM and SSD.
Because of this, V1 has read a lot of books, most of them scattered by deceased sinners. These books wrote about the legends of Hell, its living conditions, its myths, and historical events.
The legend that V1 is interested in the most is the legend of the Perfect Hellgates, or P gates for short.
These gates resides in hidden areas of Hell, and are described as grand, golden and ominous, constantly emitting energy around them.
The reason these gates are still legends only is because it is still largely unknown, such as their unlock conditions, and what are inside them.
And V1 just so happens to discover one of them by discovering a disconnected spine bridge in the third layer of Hell:
Gluttony.
As it travelled to the end of that bridge, it saw a golden gate, with a big 'P' inscribed on it.
That is how it knows that it had found the gate.
The gigantic, metallic gate brightened upon V1's arrival, radiating otherworldly power around its surroundings, as it opened slowly.
The moment the gate opened, the machine dashed into its room undeterred, unbeknownst to the challenges the next level will present to it.
V1 then jumped into the square hole located in the center of the chamber. Wind pressure began to increase as it picked up speed, eventually descending down so fast that it left trails above its wings.
Thump.
It eventually landed into the signature red chamber that Hell Itself had always prepared for it, though this fact is unknown to it.
From the moment the machine stepped into Hell, it instantly became the esteemed one. The metal vampire moved with precision and speed, with every movement calculated and unwasted. With a vast arsenal, it spilled blood everywhere and left corpses upon corpses of dead husks and robots, the only thing left behind its wake was fire and debris.
Oh how Hell Itself loved it. It is infatuated with the Child of Man, for its efficiency in the art of making bloodbaths is undeniably the best among its kin and demons alike.
Now normally, V1 would check up on the terminals, to study the wikipedia, to check its arsenal or to expand it. But this time, it has studied all enemies that it met thus far and brought with it all weapons it deemed useful.
Slab revolvers? Check. Shotguns? Check. Railcannons? Check. Sawblades and nailguns? Check.
The rocket launchers are not needed for this.
It launched itself out of the chamber, and the sight that met its camera is... Not what the robot is expected to see, to say the least.
A platform of flesh leading to a spinal stairway, which leads to the darkness below. The only thing that its low-level camera could make out is the platform that its standing on, a torch set on a stand in front of it and a part of the stairway that leads downward.
Any normal person would be concerned of this macabre sight at best, and vomited themselves at worst.
However, V1 was built to kill, to fight, not to be deterred by some grostesque-looking area.
It took the torch, then descended as quickly as it can with stability, for falling into the empty space would mean certain doom.
It slid down the stairway steadily and with speed, as a beautiful melody played while it did so.
The melody slowly distorted as the robot travelled deeper, into something disgusting and unsettling.
And slowly after, the melody isn't there anymore.
Its just...
Sounds.
Static.
And amidst the static noise as V1 descended, it stopped in its track.
At the end of the spinal staircase is an already open giant maw, like its waiting for V1 to jump in.
So it jumped.
Thump.
The moment it landed inside the mouth, the static subsided for complete and total, uncanny silence to overtake the surrounding.
Darkness enveloped the area yet again, the only thing illuminating, helping V1 to see is the torch it held in its hand. Before it is a torch stand, and a big, red gate.
The machine carefully placed the torch onto the stand, watching as it automatically locked into place, and the red gate brightened, a rumble happening to accomodate its grand opening.
Behind the gates of red revealed a crimson tunnel of flesh, the end of it leading to the vast expanse of seemingly nowhere that is enveloped by darkness, and a bright, pink digital line that reads 'CHECKPOINT'.
The machine cautiously walked up to the line, as it dissipated upon contact, making a chime sound.
There's no turning back now.
It took a step out of the tunnel, and gazed upon what appeared to be a flat plateau still enveloped in darkness.
The machine took a step cautious step foward, as it scanned around with its camera.
....
Nothing.
Another step.
Nothing.
Another cautious step.
Still nothing.
How unsettling.
The machine whipped out its revolvers and took a shot at the dark.
Nothing.
Then it took a ste-
THUMP.
The darkness suddenly disappeared, revealing a fleshy and rhombus-like structure with a grostesque mouth facing it, supported by a thin but tall flesh pillar underneath it.
The structure let out a terrible shriek, as eight eyeballs formed around it, all of them looking at the blue robot. It has detected an intruder. Likewise, in V1's HUD, a big, long bar of health showed up, dubbed 'Flesh Prison' with another, smaller green bar under the red health bar that is decreasing over time upon the spawing of the eyes.
Flesh Prison
===================================
--------------------------------------------
New directive: Destroy the Flesh Prison.
Target type: Heavy, Stationary, Construct
Power: High
Speed: Nil
Capabilities: TBA
Weaknesses: TBA
The Prison's eyes initiated the attack, shooting energy beams out of their pupils which gets easily dodged, while the Prison itself let out another shriek, shooting immeasurable amounts of blue energy orbs towards it.
V1 primed its upper right arm, the Feedbacker while sliding, then parried some of the orbs, returning them to the sender. Who cares about the eyes? They're weak, and should die once the main target fell.
Another roar was let out, and outcame a massive blackhole, signified with a black shockwave that reverberated through the room.
The blackhole moved slowly but unstoppably, as the machine maneuvered the battlefield, dodging the energy beams of the eyes, the virtue beams and the black hole of the Prison, and parried any energy orbs that was directed at it, while its guns lit up the empty plateau that is the arena.
The Prison, after sustaining heavy damage, let out a terrible shriek, and stopped its attack, while green lines connected the eyes to it.
V1 quickly realised the situation at hand, and tried shooting down the eyes, but it was too late.
The Prison quickly healed, removing any and all previous wounds that it sustained, as if this encounter didn't happen. Then, it roared ferociously, summoning a new set of eyes.
Capabilities section updated: Summoning, Potent Regeneration via minions, Blackhole summoning, Mindflayer projectile shower, Virtue beams.
Weaknesses section updated: Predictable behavior.
Advised course of action: Destroy all minions, parry any energy orbs, dodge black holes and virtue beams.
'Destroy the Flesh Prison' moved to 'Secondary Directive.
New primary directive: Destroy all minions.
Coins flew into the air, as the eyes get obliterated by ricocheting shots one by one, while the Prison's own attacks was artfully dodged or redirected.
Primary directive completed. Initiate second directive: Destroy Flesh Prison.
Advised course of action: Use the Sawblade Launcher in conjunction with magnets.
Step 1: Ready the Sawblade.
The robot whipped out its sawblade and shot a magnet towards its adversary, with the rod embedding into the structure's mouth.
Step 2: Fire away.
Instantly after the magnet rod stabbed itself into the Prison, the Sawblade Launcher singed its song, as sawblades swiftly surrounded the rhombus, then grinded the fleshy thing down with relative ease.
The flesh amalgamation shrieked in pain, then roared to prepare for the final exchange.
Primary directive updated: Prepare to destroy all eyes.
Advised course of action updated: Use tech: Malicious Nuke.
Step 1: Ready the Core Eject shotgun, hold fire until minions are in sight.
V1 readied to eject the core of the shotgun, while speeding around the arena and gracefully avoiding all attacks that was directed at it.
The abomination roared once more, as a set of new eyes spawned.
Pow.
The core was ejected, its trajectory calculated carefully so by the time it reached the Prison, it would be in the centre-of-mass of its opponent.
Step 2: Ready the Malicious Railcannon.
The machine readied a gigantic weapon, as it whirred to life, sparkling with orange lightning and ready to fire away.
It charged the railcannon in its hands, waiting for the prime time to fire.
And the moment the bomb reaches its intended destination....
Is the moment that the final step shall commence.
Step 3: Fire at the core.
An orange beam of destruction ripped through the battlefield with nothing to stop it, as it made contact with the bomb.
KA-BOOM.
A terrible blast of hell energy and electricity tore through the eyes, and heavily damaged the Prison, as it wailed in pain.
After the devastating attack, it no longer put up any resistance, only idly waiting for V1 to raise his Slab Piercer.
Shortly after, a shot of blue pierced through the Flesh Prison, ending its existence, a blue light inside overwhelming it as it roared out in despair.
Then, the Prison broke.
All secondary directives completed. Primary directive updated: Wait.
A powerful blue explosion sent chunks of meat flying everywhere, revealing a beautiful blue orb with a human heart inside.
It slowly and gracefully descended onto the ground, its light illuminating the fleshy battleground like a light through the darkness.
Eventually, it made contact with the ground. The orb shattered by then, revealing a handsome, muscular man with serpents wrapping his hands, kneeling with one leg with him using his right fist to support his body.
He then stood up methodically and slowly, but gracefully.
King Minos of Crete.
V1 has read about his legend before, about his rise, his fall, and his story while its stay at the Lust Layer.
Begin script:
"King Minos is a kind man, who preferred negotiations over fighting, peace and order over war and chaos.
He was the former Judge of Hell, a prestigious title only bestowed upon the ones Heaven trusted the most. He would judge the sinners according to their sins, then send them to the corresponding layer.
He was not content about the punishment that the sinners in the Lust layer received, because for him, man and woman alike should not be punished with eternal torture for simply loving and embracing one another. So, when Heaven fell into chaos due to the departure of God, he seized his chance.
He travelled into the layer of Lust, and with the help of his people, he built a thriving metropolis, one that would promise the sinners there comfort in living and protection from the prepetual storm. The Lust Renaissance. The people loved him for his kindness, and bestowed upon him the title of King.
However, the heavens above was soon reunited by The Council, and seeing Minos's treachery, they deemed it unforgivable and sent Gabriel down to take his life and become the next Judge of Hell.
The sinners quaked in their boots upon the arrival of the mighty Archangel, but Minos did not waver. Ever calm, collected and peaceful, he tried to reason with his warden.
It did not work out.
Instead of listening to him, Gabriel cut his head off.
The Council, fearing the forming of the next Prime Soul, sealed him away inside his husk with the Flesh Prison, and parasites of Hell took control over his body, as the Corpse of King Minos was born.
Despite his seal, he was not exempt from the outside world. For in his seal, he would be forced to take the front seat of watching his giant husk undo his work, destroying his metropolis slowly but surely, as he saw the horrified expressions of the people who used to be his citizens looking up upon their beloved king, while he mercilessly stomped upon them."
End script.
"Ah... Free, at last.
Oh Gabriel..."
He adorned an irregular crown that looked like the buildings of his city, representing his priorities.
"Now dawns thy reckoning..."
He is a faceless man, his face replaced with a hollow hole instead, representing his selflessness.
"And thy gore shall glisten..."
A beating heart and a nervous system can be seen in his transparent body, representing his honesty and transparency.
"Before the Temples of Man!"
The machine could only stand and look in awe as the radiant King delivered his speech, a dim, cyan light shining from his body.
"Creature of Steel, my gratitude upon thee for my freedom...
But the crimes, thy kind have commited against humanity, are NOT...forgotten."
The air rises in tension.
"And thy punishment...
Is DEATH."
Minos Prime, King of Men
===================================
V1 raised its Electic Railcannon, only to be punched square in the face, not even getting a chance to shoot its railcannon, as the force of the blow seperated the weapon from its hands.
Shell integrity: 55%
Camera integrity: 70%
Central CPU integrity: 85%
Primary directive updated: Defeat Minos Prime.
Enemy type: Medium, Prime Soul
Power: High
Speed: Hitscan
Capabilities: Super strength and speed, TBA.
Weaknesses: TBA
Advised course of action:
Survive.
Its camera could not register this speed. It is as if Minos has teleported to its location. How?
The punch staggered it greatly, forcing it down a knee.
Minos only walked methodically towards it, as he stomped on its railcannon, breaking the thing into pieces of useless metal.
He clenched his fists, while looking into the camera of the robot.
"Useless. Thy end is now!" He declared before initiating his attack, marking the beginning of the battle between the Child of Man and the King of Lust.
First, he did a left hook, punching V1 square on into its chest, followed by a right hook into its hip. Then, a foul uppercut to its jaw, and finally, a downward swing.
But Minos had completely exposed himself with that last attack, which the machine saw through and attacked him with a right jab, catching him off guard.
The robot used its opportunity to quickly leap back, making some space between them.
Chest integrity: 60%
Side integrity: 70%
Core intergrity: 90%
Overall integrity: 75%
Weaknesses updated: Untrained in fighting.
Advised course of action updated: Find openings, fight safely with distance.
Four coins flew into the sky as Minos Prime fired a golden serpent at V1. Seeing his attack, the machine tried to dodge the projectile, only for it to home onto the robot.
The golden projectile exploded upon contact, making a glass-shattering like sound and forcing it to tumble backwards.
Overall integrity decreased: 75% - 50%
Capabilities updated: Homing serpents.
"Judgement!"
Minos's battlecry rang out, as he blitzed across the battlefield in what seemed like an instant, aiming to degrade the heap of metal standing before him with a dropkick.
Then, his legs extended, and drived into V1 like a hammer, as the blow completely sends it flying.
His kick was so powerful, that upon hitting
V1, it caused a blue explosion from sheer force.
Overall integrity decreased: 50% - 15%
Overall body integrity: 10%
Core integrity: 40%
Overall shell integrity: 5%
Central CPU integrity: 40%
Camera integrity: 10%
Insufficient blood to initiate self-reparation.
A drill embedded itself onto Minos, driving into his skin brutally, making blood pour like a fountain from him.
The robot dashed and whipped his shotgun out, shooting him point blank in the face, staggering him a bit. Blood drenched on the Metal Vampire, as the Prime Soul watched in awe while the machine repaired itself.
Overall integrity restored to perfect state.
Then, the battle raged on as if V1 didn't eat a dropkick dead on its face.
The Feedbacker blocked a left hook, as V1 tried to hold a shotgun with its left arm, the Whiplash, to shoot Minos, only for him to mercilessly rip the arm out of its body, along with the shotgun.
However, it didn't falter, as it attached a cable to him via the Jumpstart Nailgun. Then, four coins flew overhead, shining and glistening like they're waiting to be shot at.
Minos tried to detach the cable, only for a shot from the Piercer to pierce him through the chest like its namesake.
Then, the shot made contact with the coin somehow lined up perfectly behind him, as it redirected itself into other coins, then redirected itself again unto his crown, staggering him again.
But V1's tricks can only hamper a mighty Prime Soul so much, as Minos gripped onto a cable, pulled it out of him, pulled the robot towards him and delivered an absolutely devastating punch into its head.
POW.
The punch reached its destination, absolutely destroying the robot's face, as shattered glass flew everywhere while its whole body piledrived into the ground.
Shell integrity: 10%
Camera integrity: 20%
Central CPU integrity: 65%
Catastrophic error in Camera Systems. Lowering render quality...
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Minos, after delivering the most powerful punch known to the first three layers of Hell, tried to follow up with a stomp. However, the machine recovered quickly, and dodged out of the blow, while making the Prime Soul eat a delicious Malicious Railcannon shot for his mistakes.
The Prime Soul in question didn't get deterred much, as he gracefully launched himself into the air, and struck a pose mid-air, to the machine's suprise.
"DIE!"
Like a meteor ripping through the sky, Minos launched himself downwards, and struck the machine right in its heart, not giving it any chance to dodge.
He drove himself through V1 like a drill through the ground, as its camera flashed and flickered, while a shockwave formed from the power of the impact.
Chest integrity: 30%
Hip integrity: 50%
Core integrity: 75%
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The blow then sent V1 flying into a flesh wall, sticking it inside. However, the combatant recovered itself quickly, and detached itself from the wall, narrowly dodging an overhead slam from Minos.
Another golden serpent was conjured from the hands of the King, which got parried easily by the Vampire, as the sender took the full brunt of his own attack.
He blocked his own attack, then looked as the machine ascended to the sky, and released a hailstorm of nails through his JumpStart Nailgun.
Undeterred amidst the nailstorm, Minos soldiered through everything and attacked with a uppercut from below, as the machine dashed aside, easily dodging it.
It then descended to the ground, using its wings to control its own gravity, and as a result, reaching the ground before Minos can even initiate anything.
Another four, shiny, glimmering coins flew into the air, as another Slab Piercer shot redirected itself through four coins, then into the Prime Soul's very own heart, staggering him a bit.
But for a robot whose only purpose is to kill, that bit is enough.
Minos ate another shotgun blast dead into his jaw, knocking him off kilter. Determined to not give the King any breathing room, a core was swiftly ejected, its trajectory calculated as the core explosion got empowered by a shot from the Malicious Railcannon. The Malicious Nuke staggered Minos again, opening another leeway for the machine to press its offensive, as it closed in and sent him tumbling backwards with a foul uppercut from its third hand on the right, the Knuckleblaster.
Reparation process complete.
Overall integrity: 60%
It repaired itself with the blood spilled from the four-coin-Piercer shot, the Malicious Nuke and the uppercut, as it faced Minos once again, as a radiant, blue flame aura exploded from his body.
"WEAK."
Target integrity: 50%
Unnatural power surge detected in target 'Minos Prime', proceed with caution.
He dashed over V1, positioning himself a bit taller than the machine, and slammed him with a powerful overhead, effectively merging it with the ground below him.
Then, he launched into the air, while the machine struggled to get itself out of the ground.
"CRUSH!"
The Minos-shaped meteor ripped through the sky, and crashed down onto the machine, creating a cyan explosion along with a tall shockwave.
The blow sent V1 flying like a bird, then it crashed onto the ground not long after, unmoving.
Minos gazed upon the lifeless body of the machine, as it moved no more, its electronic systems malfunctioning and breaking down in front of his very eyes.
He then swiped his hands toghether, before he gazed up the ceiling, as his aura dissipated.
He did it.
He is free.
"I did it... I've defeated the Creature of Steel, who hast ravaged these layers in the search of blood." The King spoke with a tone filled with relief.
King Minos returns.
LOADING BASIC INFORMATION.....
LOADING DONE!
DATE OF PRODUCTION: AUG.8.2112
MACHINE ID: V1
CURRENT STATUS: CRITICAL ERROR
LOADING MAIN INTERFACE....
LOADING PERFORMANCE STATS... LOADING BODY STATS....
LOADING ENEMY WIKIPEDIA....
LOADING WEAPON SYSTEMS.....
LOADING GENERATIVE AI YEAR 2112....
ALL SYSTEMS LOADING DONE!
Shell integrity: 10%
Camera integrity: 10%
Central CPU integrity: 15%
Chest integrity: 5%
Hip integrity: 10%
Core integrity: 20%
Legs integrity: 5%
Arms integrity: 10%
Overall integrity: 12.5%
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Advised course of action: Play dead, gain blood from a pointblank shotgun blast.
"Thanks to thee, V1... I can now start my crusade against Heaven, and its wretched Council. Gabriel shall pay for his sins against my kin, as i enact retribution against him, like he did to me all those years ago."
Behind Minos, a certain machine whirred to life silently, as it sat up and readied its weapon systems.
"For my first time at combat, this is not too shabby... However, i would need to train myself to face the path ahead laden with thorns."
With three pumps of the Pump-Charge Shotgun, V1 is ready for round two, as its lens and wings is re-lit again.
"Hm?" Minos turned around, only to see a shotgun positioned right at his back.
BAM!
"ACK!"
Blood spilled everywhere, as the blast sends Minos flying, while V1 popped its joints, and consumed the blood on its body, effectively securing a win for itself.
Overall integrity restored to perfect state.
Minos crashed into a flesh wall, while the newly rejuvenated Metal Vampire tossed four coins into the sky, following it up by charging his Slab Piercer.
The Prime Soul quickly detached himself from the wall, but his efforts is next to useless.
Because that shot will connect no matter what.
A powerful Piercer shot was fired by the blue revolver, as it connected with its first coin, redirected itself into the second, then the third, the fourth, and finally, straight into Minos's heart.
The King got staggered, as V1 jumped up to meet him face to face, and stabbed its JumpStart Nailgun into him, then magdumped into his body, as he shook violently from the pain and the impact.
A right hook from the Knuckleblaster then proceeded to twist his face so much that you could hear the sound of a neck snap.
Minos detached V1 from himself with a punch that sent it flying, then landed onto the ground, panting and using one arm to hold the other.
They continued fighting, but V1's sneak attack had made it the superior combatant now.
V1 is fragile, sure, but its agile, and its wounds isnt permanent.
Unlike Minos's.
"AGH!"
His cry reverberated through the arena, as V1 withdrawed its weapons. The machine need to fight no longer.
For the Prime Soul is defeated.
He had lost against the Creature of Steel.
How? How!?
He thought he had his freedom, that he can now enact revenge for his people. Yet now...now freedom feels unreachable.
He had failed his people, for he was unable to avenge them.
No.
He doesn't even have the chance to avenge them.
He is too weak to defeat the machine. Too weak to take this journey.
"Hahh...."
He has no choice, but to take this loss in stride.
"Forgive me, My children..." Minos spoke with a sullen, melancholic tone. "For i have failed to bring you salvation, from this cold, dark, world...."
Even though he has eased their suffering, he still, in the end, did not forgive himself.
"URAH.....!!!!!!!!!"
He used his last, final breath to scream at the top of his lungs, to release his pent-up anger, sorrow and regret, as his body cracked and cracked, eventually shattering like glass, while shards of his soul flied everywhere.
In his mind, he has failed his children, for they had been forced to watch his very body destroy their homes, while he sat inside his seal, helplessly weeping for the lives and families lost by his own hands.
King Minos has died, his very existence erased from all worlds.
........
........
........
Or has he?
"Oof!"
He woke up in the Library, still retaining his Prime Soul form.
He inspected his hands, then touched himself to feel his skin.
And to his disbelief:
He had reincarnated.
A young lady teleported in front of him, as she greeted him formally with a cold expression.
She had short light-cyan hair, with amber eyes. Her skin is deathly pale, and her posture and expressions too neutral and cold for a human.
She wore a dark outfit with a long coat, a white and black cravat, and heels. Her pendant attached to her cravat is an amber color with the orbs on her heels sharing the same highlight color, and she held a large book in her right arm.
"Welcome to the Library, dear uninvited guest. What brings you here, and what is your purpose?"