The second test was a blur of fists, metal, and muscle memory.
Hermes ducked a flying punch, rolled under the outstretched arm of a steel automaton, and countered with an elbow to the gut—well, where a gut would be. The robot's torso folded with a loud creak, but it didn't fall. He kicked off the floor and brought his heel down on its head, sparks bursting like fireworks.
"Come on," Hermes panted, shaking out his wrists. "I've fought beefier tin cans in my nightmares."
The Endurance Test was brutal. No weapons. No abilities. Just raw stamina and hand-to-hand combat against waves of AI-programmed opponents. He had been at it for ten minutes straight, but it felt like an hour.
He remembered what Somner said before the test: "It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how long you can keep standing when everything's trying to flatten you."
