Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Just outside the reinforced door of the surveillance room, a new threat loomed. A Revenant golem, smaller than the ones they'd faced before, stood ominously in the hallway. Barely two meters tall, it was almost unimpressive compared to its larger counterparts. But what it lacked in size, it more than made up for in menace.

On its shoulders rested two glowing blue crystals, crackling faintly with arcs of energy. The crystals exuded a dangerous aura, pulsing rhythmically like a heartbeat.

Unlike the other golems, which lumbered with brutish simplicity, this one moved with an eerie precision. Its glowing bluish eyes flickered as it scanned its surroundings, its jagged crystalline limbs twitching slightly as if preparing for a strike.

It wasn't just another foot soldier. This golem was different. It was faster. Smarter. Deadlier.

The golem stopped in front of the door to the surveillance room, its head tilting slightly as if analyzing the door. Then, without hesitation, it raised one crystalline arm. Energy surged through the blue crystals on its shoulders, concentrating into the tip of its outstretched limb.

A sharp, piercing crack echoed through the hallway as the golem fired a concentrated bolt of energy directly at the door.

Inside the room, Lyra flinched as a sudden, deafening bang reverberated through the walls. She turned sharply, her attention torn away from the monitors. "What the hell was that?!" she muttered, her heart already pounding fast as she stared at the door.

The reinforced metal groaned under the impact, faint scorch marks appearing around the center. Another crack followed, and this time the door buckled slightly, a faint dent forming where the energy had struck.

A third, deafening crack echoed through the room, and before anyone could react, the reinforced metallic door was sent flying across the space. It slammed into the monitors with a catastrophic crash, shattering half of them in a burst of sparks and broken glass.

The room filled with the acrid scent of burning circuits as the door clattered to the ground.

The Revenant golem stepped through the ruined doorway, its movements unnervingly slow and deliberate. Its glowing blue crystals pulsed faintly as its red eyes scanned the room, locking onto every corner with chilling precision.

The air seemed to grow heavier, the faint hum of its power filling the silence like a predator stalking its prey.

From the shadows to its right, Lyra emerged, her twin pistols aimed directly at the golem's head. Without hesitation, she pulled both triggers, the loud sound of gunfire echoing in the stillness.

But what happened next froze her in place.

The bullets stopped midair.

Just a few centimeters from the golem's head, the projectiles hovered, suspended as if time itself had been frozen. A faint, shimmering energy field surrounded the golem's head, rippling like disturbed water. Lyra's breath hitched, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing.

The golem's head turned slowly toward her, its crystalline shoulders glowing brighter. The right crystal began to pulse as arcs of energy crackled along its arm. It raised its hand, pointing directly at Lyra's face, its glowing blue eyes narrowing as if preparing to strike.

But before the golem could fire, a deafening lion roar erupted inside the room, shaking the very walls. The roar was primal, furious, and filled with raw power.

A blur of white fur and muscle crashed into the golem like a meteor, sending it flying out of the room. The crystalline creature smashed into the corridor wall with a bone jarring sound while cracking spiderwebbing across the metal surface where it hit.

"Tsk," Gustav growled as he stepped into the room, his towering frame bristling with barely contained aggression. He turned his sharp, glowing blue eyes toward Lyra, his tone dripping with irritation.

"What the hell are you doing standing there frozen like a statue? You want to die that badly? Fine, let me kill you myself so I can work out some of this anger!"

Lyra blinked, finally snapping out of her shock. "Gustav! What are you doing here?"

After Nyra and Lyra had defeated him during a previous encounter, the twins had begged Cleo to fix Gustav so they could keep him as a pet, if only because his strength intrigued them.

It had taken weeks of relentless nagging, but eventually Cleo accepted. Using advanced Kalzar prosthetics, she replaced his damaged organs and limbs. To further enhance him, she even infused him with a small dose of Rex's golden blood, granting him new strength and longevity.

The results had been… striking.

Gustav retained his Tier 3 low power level, but his physical form was altered. His once-golden fur was now pale white, and his eyes glowed an icy blue. The transformation was eerily similar to the mutation the twins had undergone after drinking Rex's blood, though their eyes had retained a different hue.

Of course, Cleo wasn't foolish. She installed numerous countermeasures in Gustav's new body to ensure he couldn't turn against them. These safeguards kept him obedient, but they couldn't fix his foul mouth or his deep-seated hatred for the twins. Unfortunately for Gustav, obedience wasn't optional.

"Shut up! I'm not used to close combat like my sister!" Lyra snapped back, pouting as she reloaded her pistols.

Before Gustav could respond, a sudden flash of blue light filled the room. A bolt of lightning crackled through the air, striking Gustav head-on. He grunted, his body locking up briefly as his honeycomb-like energy shield absorbed the brunt of the attack.

The shield flickered but held, leaving Gustav unharmed, but his arm hung stiffly at his side, the residual lightning having numbed his muscles.

"Tsk," Gustav hissed, rolling his shoulder as he glared at the corridor where the golem had crashed. "That little shit's still alive? I hit it with everything I had."

He flexed his claws, his irritation mounting. "Damn thing's tougher than it looks."

Turning toward Lyra, he shouted, "Hey, you bitch! Don't you have one of those gadgets that scans enemy power levels or something? I'm not about to waste my time if this thing's out of my league."

Lyra's face twisted with indignation. "Who are you calling a bitch? That's no way to talk to your master!" She punctuated her words with a sharp kick to Gustav's leg, though he didn't even flinch.

"Fine," she muttered, activating her power armor's helmet. The HUD flared to life, scanning the golem as it emerged from the rubble in the corridor. The blue crystals on its shoulders were now glowing even brighter, and the arcs of energy coursing through its limbs had intensified.

Lyra's eyes widened as the results appeared on her screen. "Oh, damn..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Gustav's ears twitched. "What is it?" he growled, his claws tensing as his eyes remained locked on the advancing golem. "What's its power level?"
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Lyra hesitated for a moment before swallowing hard. "It's... a Tier 3 peak creature."

Gustav's tail flicked in agitation as he let out a low growl. "Peak? You're telling me we're up against something at the top of Tier 3?"

Lyra nodded as she quickly switched the ammunition in her pistols to explosive rounds. "Yep, we're screwed."

Gustav smirked, his blue eyes narrowing as he crouched slightly, ready to pounce. "Screwed? Speak for yourself, princess. I'm just getting started."

The golem stepped forward, its glowing crystals crackling ominously as it prepared another attack. Lyra raised her pistols, her explosive rounds locked and loaded, while Gustav shifted his weight, the air around him growing tense with anticipation.

"Guess we'll find out if your'master can keep up," Gustav muttered, his grin widening.

"Shut up and fight!" Lyra snapped, her voice shaking slightly as the golem charged forward, its glowing crystals lighting up the corridor.

"I'll take the front! You just make sure not to shoot me in the back!" Gustav roared as he lunged forward, his powerful frame barreling toward the golem with reckless determination.

The crystalline golem didn't hesitate. The blue crystals on its shoulders pulsed, releasing rapid-fire energy bolts that streaked toward Gustav. He dodged as many as he could, his movements surprisingly agile for his size. The shots he couldn't avoid slammed into his honeycomb shield, causing it to flicker with every hit.

"Damn shield's holding... for now," Gustav muttered to himself, his claws flexing as he closed the gap.

Once in range, Gustav unleashed a flurry of punches, each one aimed directly at the golem's head. His fists crashed into the invisible force field protecting the creature, the impact sending small shockwaves rippling through the air. But despite the sheer power behind his strikes, the barrier held firm, the golem remaining completely unharmed.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SHIT?!" Gustav shouted in frustration, landing punch after punch with no effect.

The golem's eyes flared brighter as if responding to his anger. Without warning, the blue crystals on its shoulders discharged two bolts of lightning at point-blank range. The searing electricity struck Gustav square in the chest, sending him flying backward.

With a resounding crash, Gustav hit the cold metallic floor, his body skidding several meters before coming to a stop. He groaned, his muscles spasming as residual electricity coursed through his body, locking him in place.

"This fucker…" Gustav growled through gritted teeth, his claws digging into the floor as he tried to push himself up. But the electricity surging through his body left him momentarily paralyzed, his limbs stiff and unresponsive.

Before the golem could press its advantage, a series of loud shots echoed through the corridor. From the ceiling, Lyra fired several rounds at the golem's face, each shot perfectly aimed at its head.

The bullets flew straight and true, but just like before, they stopped midair, suspended by the golem's invisible force field.