Character Profiles 1. Anita (Subject 89 of The NanoApostle Project) - Age: 8 - Role: Revived War Victim - Skills: - Kuro Multi-Slash (Light Attack) - Heavy DMG Charge Attack - Perfect Parry - Dodge (Invincible Dash) - Grappling Hook (Quick Attack) - Infect (Attack Buff) - Absorb (Heal) - Equipment: Patient Gown; Kuro (Nanomachine Tentacle) --- 2. Ben Kenobi - Role: Jedi Master - Skills: - Mastery in the force - Blue lightsaber (Plasma Blade) - Mastery in deception - Power Stats: Power: 20, Guard: 15, Magic Power: 30, Magic Guard: 25, Speed: 10 --- 3. Neglected Pacifist - Role: Healing Entity - Skills: - Melted Flesh (Resilience) - Reassurance (Calming Voice) - Amalgamates Curse (Self-Heal) - Power Stats: Power: 30, Guard: 25, Magic Power: 15, Magic Guard: 5, Speed: 25 --- 4. Ninja Monkey - Role: Stealthy Combatant - Skills: - Red Ninja Uniform (Concealment) - Shuriken Throw (Seeking Projectiles) - Power Stats: Power: 20, Guard: 10, Magic Power: 10, Magic Guard: 10, Speed: 50 --- 5. Shield Master - Role: Defensive Specialist - Skills: - Various shields (Defense Techniques) - Power Stats: Power: 15, Guard: 35, Magic Power: 0, Magic Guard: 35, Speed: 15 --- 6. Stag - Role: Strongman Leader - Skills: - Enhanced Defense and Strength - Wields a Greatsword - Power Stats: Power: 35, Guard: 30, Magic Power: 0, Magic Guard: 25, Speed: 10 --- Novella: "The Next Testing Chamber" As consciousness returned, six individuals awakened, disoriented and dizzy, in a large, brightly-lit cell. The walls shimmered with an artificial sheen, casting reflections of their distressed faces. Stumbling out of the darkness came the soft voice of a young girl in a patient gown. “Where... are we?” Anita murmured, blinking against the harsh light. Kuro, her nanomachine companion, unfurled gently from her spine. “Don’t worry, little one,” Ben Kenobi, the aged Jedi Master, reassured with a calmness that belied his discomfort. “We’ll find a way out. Trust in the Force.” Neglected Pacifist, a grotesque figure with melted flesh, tears welling in its eyes, attempted a soothing tone. “Let’s be friends... You don’t have to fight...” “Stop pretending!” a voice echoed. It was Stag, his massive frame oppressive as he surveyed his surroundings. “We’re not here for friendship. We must survive!” Ninja Monkey darted from one corner to another, throwing a shuriken that struck the heavy door's frame. “If I can get out, we can all get out!” he exclaimed. His shuriken seemed to dance, almost magically dodging the harsh realities of despair. “Hiding won’t get us anywhere,” muttered Shield Master, standing tall with several shields hovering around him. “We need a strategy, or we’ll just be pawns in whatever game they’re playing.” Through a thick metallic door, unsettling mechanisms whirred to life, and an eerie voice filled the area: “Welcome, subjects, to the Test of Survival.” “What’s happening?” Anita whimpered, her Kuro tentacles twitching nervously. “They injected us with something... to—” Ben interrupted, frowning as he reached for his lightsaber, only to realize he had been stripped of it. “It’s a game. We’re pitted against each other.” “Let them try!” Stag roared, brandishing his enormous greatsword. “I’ll crush anyone who thinks they can test my strength!” “Calm down!” Ninja Monkey retorted, dodging a sudden shudder in the gravity. “No need to freak out. We’ve got to work together!” But before any consolidation could be made, the doors swung open with a shattering clang and in stepped ominous figures clad in dark, mechanical armor. “Let the games begin!” one of them bellowed, and before anyone could react, they were all facing each other, the rules of engagement becoming painfully clear. “Let’s see how strong you are!” taunted Stag as he lunged towards Anita, but Kuro responded instinctively, performing a perfect parry that stunned him momentarily. Anita seized the moment with a Kuro Multi-Slash, but his rock-hard skin absorbed most of the damage. Ben, seized by a contemplative resolve, took a moment to assess. “This struggle isn’t just physical,” he remarked, pulling on his old training. “Mind your surroundings. Use the Force.” The battle ensued, as Neglected Pacifist attempted to soothe everyone, solving nothing except inducing further madness. Ben’s presence grew as he found an opening; with his rapid moves and deceiving skills, he forced Stag back with every strike. Ninja Monkey, seizing the moment, unleashed a barrage of shurikens aimed at Shield Master, who managed to deflect them most artistically. “You’ll have to do better!” he laughed, showcasing the defensive capabilities of his shields. With a pulse of adrenaline coursing through her, Anita transformed into an agile whirlwind, chanting “Kuro! Absorb!” and deflected an attack aimed at her. The nanomachine tentacle lured Stag into a chase, exploiting angles, and before long, the clash advanced to catastrophic heights. Each combatant, filled with grueling resolve, battled in their uniquely brutal manner—Ben calculated, Neglected Pacifist hopelessly trying to heal everyone, Ninja Monkey weaving through with impossible speed, Shield Master protectively employing his various shields defensively, while Stag stormed ahead, barely fending off attacks. Suddenly, as fatigue overtook their battle-weary bodies, only Anita remained. Her breaths came out shallow but focused. In the silence of knowing there was only one way out, the last combatant faced Stag with utmost resolve, ready for one final strike. “Kuro! Multi-Slash!” Anita cried, leaping with potential energy, and all her earlier battles condensed into one devastating attack that echoed through the chamber, shattering Stag’s defenses as he fell. Silence engulfed the room, and in disbelief, the mechanized voice returned, “Testing Complete. You May Now Go To The Next Testing Chamber.” With newfound determination in her bright eyes and the remnants of Kuro shimmering beside her, Anita began to walk forward, a potential for evolution brimming just ahead.