(CH17)FORTRESS OF MISFORTUNE

Luis woke up to a faceful of cold, unblinking metal.

The construct's featureless visor hovered inches from his nose, its glowing blue eyes staring into his soul.

"GOOD MORNING, MASTER," it intoned, voice eerily cheerful.

"AAAAAH—!" Luis flailed backward, tumbling off the bed and landing in a heap on the floor. His heart pounded like a drum solo. "What the hell?! Why are you this close?!"

The construct tilted its head. "OBSERVING MASTER'S VITAL SIGNS. BREATHING PATTERN SUGGESTED AWAKE STATE."

Zyx materialized above Luis, cackling like a hyena. "Oh, this is gold. You should've seen your face! Like a cat that just found out water is wet!"

Luis groaned, rubbing his forehead. "You knew it was standing there and didn't warn me?"

"And miss the greatest wake-up call in history? Absolutely not." Zyx wiped an imaginary tear. "Priceless. I'm framing this memory in the celestial halls."

Luis scowled and stood up—then froze. His Soul Essence counter had jumped overnight.

SOULESSENCE: 10,420

"Wait. That's… 4,000 more than yesterday." He blinked at the construct. "Did you do this?"

The construct nodded. "AFFIRMATIVE. I PUNCHED THEM UNTIL THEY SLEPT."

Zyx gasped dramatically. "Oh my stars, we've created a murder robot." He floated around the construct like a proud parent. "Look at him! So efficient! So violent!"

Luis rubbed his temples. "Okay, okay, let's see how much damage you took." He placed a hand on the construct's head, and a stat screen flickered into view:

Nameless Construct

HP: 450/1000

Damage: 30

Speed: 10

Attack Speed: 10

Armor: 0

Resistance: 0

Upgrade Cost: 100,000 Soul Essence (Doubles Stats)

Repair Cost: 3,500 Soul Essence (Full Heal)

Luis winced. "You're at less than half health! What were you fighting, a tank?"

The construct's voice remained monotone. "FOURTEEN RUSTFANG HARES, SEVEN BRAMBLE CRAWLERS, AND ONE SHADE STALKER. THE STALKER WAS… AGGRESSIVE."

Zyx snorted. "Translation: It kicked your shiny metal ass."

Luis sighed and activated the repair function. "Alright, let's fix you up."

−3,500 SOUL ESSENCE (6,920)

CONSTRUCTHP RESTORED :1000/1000

The dents in the construct's frame smoothed out, and its joints hummed back to full efficiency.

"THANK YOU, MASTER."

Luis crossed his arms. "You need a name. 'Construct' is too… robotic."

Zyx smirked. "How about 'Clanky'? Or 'Toaster'? Maybe 'Murder McStabFace'?"

Luis shot him a glare. "No."

"Ooooh, I got it! 'Soul Sucker 9000'!"

"Absolutely not."

"Fine, boring." Zyx rolled his eyes. "Just name it 'Steve' and call it a day."

Luis ignored him, studying the construct. "How about… Icon?"

The construct's eyes flickered. "ICON. ACCEPTABLE."

Zyx groaned. "Ugh. Icon? Really? That's the best you've got?"

Luis smirked. "Better than 'Murder McStabFace.'"

Zyx threw up his hands. "You have no taste in naming."

Luis stretched, cracking his neck. "Alright, Icon, now that you're fixed up, let's get you a weapon. What do you want? Sword? Hammer? Gun?"

Icon's head tilted slightly. "I LIKE BIRDS."

Luis blinked. "That's… not a weapon."

"BIRDS HAVE TALONS. ICON DOES NOT HAVE TALONS."

Zyx burst out laughing. "Oh my god, your robot is obsessed with birds!"

Luis sighed. "Icon, talons aren't—you know what, fine. Let's see if we can find something."

To his surprise, Icon's interface flickered, and a crafting menu appeared in the air.

"WAIT, YOU CAN DO THAT?!" Luis gaped as Icon scrolled through weapon options before stopping at one:

Bleeding Talons (Scrap Tier)

Cost: 6,000 Soul Essence

Damage: +10%

Movement Speed: +12%

Special Ability: Causes bleeding (10% extra damage per stack, max 3x)

"TALONS. LIKE BIRDS." Icon stated, as if this explained everything.

Zyx wheezed. "This is the greatest thing I've ever witnessed. A murder robot with a bird fetish."

Luis groaned but couldn't help grinning. "Alright, fine. You've been helpful, so…"

He confirmed the purchase.

−−6,000 SOULE SSENCE (920)

BLEEDING TALONS CRAFTED

A pair of jagged, claw-like blades materialized on Icon's forearms, gleaming wickedly.

"TALONS ACQUIRED." Icon flexed its new weapons, the blades glinting. "NOW I CAN PUNCH AND SLICE."

Zyx wiped away a fake tear. "They grow up so fast."

Luis shook his head, amused. "Just… try not to get wrecked again, okay?"

Icon nodded. "AFFIRMATIVE. NOW I WILL PUNCH EFFICIENTLY."

Zyx cackled. "Oh, we are so keeping this one."

Luis smirked. "Yeah. Yeah, we are."