A Mutant Collector Quest

But then—everything stops.

The drones halt mid-air, their movements perfectly synchronized. The robots on the ground freeze in place, their heads tilting upward.

All of them... turn to face me!

"How?" I murmur in astonishment, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my thoughts.

FZZZZZT!

My answer is met by the searing beams of lasers fired from the drones above. Twin streaks of burning light cut through the air as the nearest drones unleash their attack, each shot preceded by a shrill WHIIIIINE that sends a shiver up my spine. Luckily, my vigilance paid off—as I drop lower, narrowly evading the beams.

FZZZT-CRACK!

The sharp crack of the laser striking the metallic ground reverberates below me, leaving a smouldering black dent where it had impacted. The acrid smell of burnt metal fills the air, and I couldn't shake the worry that one of those beams might pierce my body just as easily as it scarred the floor.

ZZZZAP!

From below, two robots aim and discharge energy blasts in my direction. A high-pitched ZZZZAP burst from their barrels, leaving faint, ionized trails in their wake.

"Who attacks someone without even asking any questions?!" I shout in annoyance, raising my forcefield just in time to tank the oncoming blasts.

Each impact hits my shield with a sharp, sizzling SNAP, accompanied by blinding flashes of light that momentarily obscure my vision. The forcefield hum under the strain, but it holds strong.

FZZZZZT!

The drones and robots don't bother to answer my doubts. Instead, this time not one or two but they all prepare to unleash a wave of coordinated attacks together, their weapons glowing ominously as they charge up, aiming directly at me.

"ENOUGH!" I roar, my voice echoing through the metallic chamber as electricity crackles violently around my hands. I activate my Electricity Manipulation and unleash my attack.

ZAP! CRACK!

Bolts of electric current arc from my fingertips, streaking towards the drones above. The electricity lashes out like living lightning, crackling through the air. At the same time, I erect a massive psionic shield below me, shimmering and humming as it absorbs the onslaught from the robots.

BOOOM!

My attack takes out ten of the drones in a dazzling explosion of sparks and smoke, but I am still left facing a relentless storm of laser fire—more than a hundred beams converging on my position.

FZZZZZT!

The air sizzles with the scorching heat of the lasers, leaving a faint, acrid ozone scent behind. Forced to push my Clairvoyance and Astral flight to their limits, I twist and weave through the barrage, narrowly avoiding the deadly beams.

SNAP! SNAP!

Below, my shield absorbs a persistent assault of energy blasts, each impact accompanied by sharp, sizzling bursts of light. Despite its durability, I feel the shield beginning to falter under the sheer volume of attacks. I can tell that it won't hold forever.

Realizing that staying still will only make me an easier target, I propel myself into motion, zipping through the chaos. With a calculated risk, I drop my shield, leaving myself vulnerable to ground attacks.

"Let's see how you like your own attacks," I mutter with a smirk, eyes glinting with determination. Using my Clairvoyance, I anticipate every movement and firing angle.

In one swift motion, I take out ten more drones with precision strikes of electricity. But even as they fall, the remaining forces coordinate their attacks, firing simultaneously from above and below.

FZZZZZT! ZZZZAP!

This time, I manoeuvre cleverly, darting through the air with perfect timing. Their errant attacks collide, destroying several of their own units. I grin triumphantly as half their numbers are wiped out in seconds.

"D.A.I.S.Y. would have never made such a rookie mistake, you dumb AIs," I say with a laugh, continuing to thin out the drones.

Although I realise that if D.A.I.S.Y and my Focus were with me, I might have already hacked all these robots by now. It pains me to think about the money and resources wasted as I destroy each piece of advanced tech—even though it's not my money.

SWISH!

Just as the battle starts feeling too easy with only a handful of robots and drones left, I hear multiple doors opening from higher up.

"Ugh, don't tell me more robots," I mutter in frustration, surveying the ground littered with scraps of destroyed humanoid robots and drones.

To my surprise, the new arrivals share the same humanoid torsos as before, but their lower halves have been replaced with sleek drones, allowing them to hover menacingly in mid-air.

"Flying robots? Really?" I scoff, eyeing the approaching swarm of at least twenty. "All you did was fuse them! Where's the creativity in that?" Disappointment drips from my tone as I brace for their advance.

Without hesitation, the robots respond in unison, unleashing a barrage of red laser beams from their drone propulsion systems while twin barrels emerge from their hands, firing concentrated energy blasts.

FZZZZZT! ZZZZAP!

"Fantastic," I mutter, dodging the incoming attacks with fluid movements and retaliating with a volley of Electrobolts.

SIZZLE! CRACK!

To my frustration, the electricity fizzles harmlessly as it strikes their reflective outer casings, scattering into the air like a light show. These machines were clearly designed to shrug off such attacks.

"So that's how you want to play, huh?" I say, narrowing my eyes. Instead of retreating, I speed up towards them.

FZZZZZT! SNAP!

"Ah, fuck, that was close," I mutter, narrowly dodging lasers and tanking the energy blasts with small and quickly-deployed forcefields in their paths.

"Now, power off!" I yell, touching the metal casing of one of the robots mid-flight. Using Metal Manipulation, I reshape its outer shell into a compact cube, disabling its thrusters and weapons. The robot plummets to the ground, trapped in its self-made prison.

"Let's wrap this up, tin cans!" I say with a smirk, using Psychokinesis to pull two more robots towards me while dodging their attacks.

In under 30 seconds, the ground is strewn with metallic scraps and 20 perfectly formed cubes.

"Can we talk now?" I shout into the empty space, scanning for any surveillance devices.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Suddenly, the sound of many more doors opening fills the air.

"Fucking hell," I mutter, looking up to see hundreds of droids and semi-humanoid drones emerging from more of those metal boxes.

"Why are you even attacking me? I didn't do anything!" I yell, my irritation boiling over.

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

As I contemplate leaving this place by phasing through the walls, the closed gate abruptly opens.

"Stop!"

A commanding female voice cuts through the chaos. All the robots freeze in place at once, as the alarm stops and even the red harsh light goes back to golden yellow.

I turn to see a striking woman entering through the gate. Who surprisingly looks quite human—long blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and an air of authority. Her purple-blue gown is elegant, showcasing a deep neckline and hugging her curves perfectly. She is wearing several pieces of alien jewellery adorned with glowing gemstones.

"I knew this antique piece of junk needed an AI upgrade," she mutters, glancing dispassionately at the ground covered in robotic scraps.

When her gaze shifts to me, her disinterest turns into intrigue. "Bravo, Bravo," she says in an alien tongue, slow-clapping. "You have displayed quite the prowess, stranger... by destroying thousands of credits' worth of my equipment." She smiles faintly, her tone sounding almost impressed. "And with such ease, might I add. If I hadn't stopped them, I would probably need to replace my entire security fleet."

Her voice is soft, and her demeanour suggests she doesn't mind the destruction as much as she should.

"I didn't want to attack them. This was self-defence," I clarify, eyeing the still-hovering droids warily.

"Still, it's impressive," she says, her smooth voice carrying a note of curiosity. "Not many make it past this space ship's security—let alone handle my droids so... efficiently." She waves her hand dismissively, and the robots and drones return to their boxes.

"I don't think I have anything valuable enough here for a thief of your caliber to bother with," she continues, stepping towards me. Her high heels click against the scattered metal scraps, which she disregards entirely. "So, you must not be a thief, am I right?"

"You are correct," I reply, floating down to the ground. Dialogue seems like the best course of action now, especially since I have realized this isn't just a warehouse—it is more likely a cabin on a spaceship. That means there is probably nowhere else for me to go even if I run out now.

From what I can gather, this woman is either a slave trader or works for an organization that deals in 'cargo.' It could also be that these are simply prisoners or dangerous entities being stored away. Either way, playing the hero isn't the best move right now.

I also can't deny that the beautiful woman's arrival played a significant role in pacifying my irritation, as my mood has shifted from being fight-ready to something much more exciting.

"Then tell me, who are you, and why have you invaded my ship?" she asks, standing in front of me without fear, her blue eyes scrutinizing me deeply.

Now that I am face-to-face with her, it is undeniable that she is not human. It is not just her appearance; it's the entire aura she radiates. Even without the use of Mana Sight, the presence she exudes is unmistakable. With Clairvoyance, I can sense it even more clearly—no Earth-born human could give off such a feeling.

"I am a lost traveler who accidentally ended up here," I explain frankly. "You could say I was teleported here by mistake, and the next thing I knew, I was being attacked by your robotic army." As I speak, I activate Mana Sight but surprisingly find no traces of mana on her.

"Oh? So, you are a 'lost traveler' who bypassed the anti-teleportation net, breached all other layers of security, and conveniently landed inside my ship?" she asks, intrigued, as her blue eyes narrow slightly.

"Yes, exactly. And who are you? You haven't introduced yourself," I reply, eying her curiously.

I also want to ask about the boxes and the living aliens I saw inside them, but I hold my tongue for now.

"Do you really not know who I am?" she asks, astonished. "No matter. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Carina Tivan, the owner of the spaceship you have stumbled into," she says with a dramatic flair, throwing her arms into the air.