The giant raised the hammer and brought it down. I dashed backward using my jetpack just as the weapon slammed into the floor, sending a shockwave that cracked the arena tiles. The hammer was stuck in the floor for a brief second.

I looked at the terminal. I could upgrade my armor, unlock a bow, or invest in jetpacks. I looked down at my metallic hands. If I was going to survive the chaos, I needed mobility. I chose the and Deflect Arrows .

Out stepped a machine three times my size. In its hands was a gravity hammer the size of a small car. One hit from that thing would not just kill me; it would delete my source code.

I looked up at the commentator ship. I wasn't just a clone fighting for amusement anymore. Every robot I destroyed, every arrow I deflected, was a middle finger to the Empire that had stolen my human life.

A door slid open and a fleet of slender, agile robots came sprinting out. They didn't have weapons; they had heavy, hydraulic legs designed to send opponents flying. Before I could raise my sword, one of them delivered a massive dropkick to my chest.

"Ooh! A clean cut!" the commentator laughed. "Let's see how he handles a crowd!" Chapter 2: Upgrades and Gravity

"Welcome, Human 402, to your new life!" a booming, synthetic voice echoed from the massive floating screen above. It was the Emperor’s main commentator, a massive floating bot with a penchant for cruel sarcasm. "You have been upgraded! Try not to get sliced in half in the first ten seconds. The crowd hates a short show."