01 - Dueling Machine by Ben Bova

Step into a world where disputes are settled without injury in The Dueling Machine. In this thrilling tale, you and your opponent choose weapons and environments, entering an artificial reality to engage in battles to the virtual death‚Aîwithout any real harm. However, the stakes rise when a cunning warrior from the Kerak Empire discovers a way to translate these virtual confrontations into deadly reality. Now, the machines inventor, Dr. Leoh, must race against time to stop his creation from becoming a weapon of conquest. Originally written with Myron R. Lewis, this gripping story first appeared in the May 1963 issue of Analog Science Fact & Fiction. (Summary by Gregg Margarite)