Introduction: One of the last known human settlements gets a friendly invitation from the AI that helped conquer the world. "Come to the new tower in the woods," it says. "Fight your way to the top, and we won't bother you for a year. Equipment provided; safety not guaranteed."Former soldier Sven heads to the strange fortress called Direspire, to protect his village. When he's drawn into a game of robots, traps and treasure, he finds that there's more at stake than just fending off a zealous AI.This story is now complete. Comments appreciated! A longer, improved version is also now available on Amazon at https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B07RC2H492 ....