The Automated King

Adrenaline Rush

A minuscule bar of growth, that’s what I feel today. The forked lightning definitely gave me a great shock to the head. My nerves were burned up by the heat, my brain nearly ceased off to dust, My entire legs.... what’s with this one? It got buffed up!

“He might be joking, but this one would be the final straw to me.”

I’m gonna brisk the speed to those hills for a taste on these abnormal traits. Here goes nothing....

Hah....hah....hah.... It goes the same with myself from the past..... Oh well, I am afraid if this kind of power truly awakened, anyway. Someone out there would be really irritated with it.

“Hoi!!! How are you, champ?”

Those chirping birds is annoying. Marion didn’t really stuck him up on the stake, huh.

“Well, what about you? enjoying the show? Bastard.”

“It’s horrible for you to ‘spark’ the joy, Reginald. Here, have some tea. It’s from Maria, so thank her for that one.”

Time for a little rest, I think.

“Hmmm...... you got something interesting on your hand, champ.”

Hmm? What’s wrong with my hands? Ah, right. He could detect my powers with his skin.

“So, what’s the repercussion on that one, Fritz?”

“My body just seeping the volt out from it, Reginald. Or reflected, maybe? Nah, might be more into absorbing it whole. By the way...”

 “State your demand, daddy.”

“ Okay.... long story short, I wanted to spar you with Shadi. Let’s try something else with it, junior.”

“Fair enough, but why?”

“From my experience towards my own talents, I can do an instant switcheroo, and I hope you could do the same with some training. You have a chance to be stronger, Reginald, I’ll assure you of it.”

Who would’ve known of this.... Well, at least there’s a benefit on my writing habit then.

“Okay, where’s the hot spot?”

“The training ground, silly. Come on, stick close.”

---

Training ground was located in the deeper level of the mountain. It’s surprisingly identical to the tennis court of Repugnare Headquarters. Well, It’s an exquisite duplication, no matter how much tweak and tinkering that they did to the path.

“Hehe, no comment on it, Reginald?”

“As far as I remember from my past, those pathetic audience seat was not intended to stand behind the lamp.”

“Don’t be so pure and honest, It’s woeful. You don’t know how much I’ve tried to re-work this one.”

On the other words, it’s a practical failure. You were destined to be a traveler, Fritz, not a home-maker.

“Let me re-introduce you with the man, champ. This is Shadi Rishman, the vulture of our team. He is our best tracker and path-finder, and an awesome fighter too.”

“Hello, Reginald Lambardi. My master was keen to see you from the start, he prepared the whole lot of stratagems for alluring you to his grasp. I’m honored to witness yet another gems of his scheme.”

“Are you going to spill the beans on-site like this again, Shadi? Ehehehe, Reginald, It’s not important, so..”

I wanted to squeeze it tight, so much... How far he pried over my personal life, back then?

“Tell me, daddy. I deserved to know such matters, too.”

“Oh well, here comes the confession.... So, you are well-aware of Rufus and Lauren. They are my key for this operation. For this occasion, it was Lauren on the job.”

Here comes the bitter-sweet truth...

“First of all, Lauren is a member of illusionist’s association in your city. We amassed the data of entire Repugnare’s saviors, so this wouldn’t be a hassle to us. After Maria had you as the part of those organization, to test your true ability, We proceed to the next plan few days later.”

He’s not joking....

“Wait a second.... you’ve got the whole data? How?”

“There’s Rufus on the play. He has better prowess on it due to his shrinking ability. He smuggled himself into Merry’s laboratory and stole several documents that laid bare on the table. You know what’s gonna happen afterwards.”

They were under the nose of Repugnare from the start. I can’t tell of how’s that happen, though.

“Without further ado, the rest of the saga rolls to Lauren. She lured the man of your first mission, Simon, to become the member of Illusionist association. He has talent of doing speedy-slicky stuff, so the sleight of hands would be fitting him well.”

Ah, he was concocted the plan of how to get my attention to this extent. It’s a great plan, indeed.

“Well, it’s a total speculation for this one. I’ve settled camp nearby the city to provoke Ellen for telling you about us. The Pufferfish was included to the framework, obviously. They are all converted to fishman as a form of death sentence, and the kingdom granted me the permission to wrap them up somewhere.”

“What? How could they transformed humans that easy?”

“They have a confidential research on that segment, Reginald, that’s all I can speak about. I’m imposed by the oath to save the secret of any species’ trade from anyone else. This base would be purged if I sell them out, you know.”

Wow..... It’s scary for them to have those sort of knowledge. They are technologically more advanced than what I could gouge out from the books.

“Back to the topic, my speculation was true after all. Your interest on how the world works led you to Malia. I’ve conveyed several assassination tasks to my subjects for interrupting their plan on invasion beforehand, and that’s the ploy of magician’s hat came for you to enjoy.”

“No matter how much I’ve heard it, master, those plan is a masterpiece.”

“Thanks for the compliment, Shadi, but it’s a total gamble for me. By the way, let’s spar and practice, shall we?”

No wonder how much hardship Ellen’s would bear over this organization and its conduct to the group. They had the vantage point all over the country, and he knew how to use it for good.

---

“So, any light on what we gonna do, boy?”

Reginald is fixing his stance of fighting. He is ready for any upcoming attacks from Shadi, his opponent on the other side. Fritz, as an intermediary, park himself up as the pivot of the battle. He is on standby of any emergency situation that might occur.

“Not in a way.”

 “So, I planned for your talent to be more effective on flip-flopping, champ. We’ll gonna have a hell on it until you’re ready for Titania.”

“What? We are gonna attack the stronghold? They have a lot on their sleeves, Fritz. We would be annihilated!”

“Not on my watch, Reginald. I have 20 years to spare on unveiling their weakness. Brace for impact, Regi!”

“I’m going to swirl some gust on your nine, Reginald Lambardi.”

An immense stream of wind is flowing to Reginald’s skin. The pace of cyclone brought particles of grime and piercing his bare skin as the result.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow...”

“Endure the pain, Reginald!! Think of something that would be happened from those impulse!!”

Reginald is closing his eyes. As far as he prompted to think over the base, his skin scream harder by the loads of agony that he received from the flying dust.

“Argh, I can’t!! This is too much...”

“stop the gale, Shadi!!”

Shadi is stopping his continuous flaps and unfurl the bone-wings to it’s usual state in immediate response.

“Well, it’s gonna be a torture, I agree. Any proposition to those one?”

“Hmm, This surely would plant stuff to my body tomorrow. For the level-up concept, I don’t have any sort of idea to add.”

“How about physical contact for the next exercise, Reginald Lambardi? From my own conjencture, it might be proportional to have the upper-hand with the melee for the first.”

Fritz nodding excessively to Shadi’s proposal.

“Well, I can confirm that. We will have a great festival for the main course, champ.”

Reginald shake his head in motion.

“I can’t handle too much injury for now, Fritz. A lot of ouchies would be critical.”

“Let’s call it a day, then. Come on, you must be famished, Reginald.”

“I’m starving, master. I would eat any carcass nearby, if you wish for me to do so.”

“No, it’s disgusting, Shadi. Stop it.”

---

Now is the second day for me to go along Reginald’s timetable of training. I’ve acquired skin durability for this time due to Shadi’s gale of wind. But, is that effective to physical contact? From the past encounter of mine, that would be a lot of ouchies to dig.

“Well, the opponent for your second date would be Rizo Marney, Reginald. He is the best melee contender in my team.”

“Nah, me fluke for power would be more useful to leg it than to shake it off, Fritz.”

“Yup, thanks for the objection. Now, get ready, Reginald!”

“Hoho, hi screamer. I’ll smack you good this time, lad.”

This man has invisibility. Hoo, I have to copy that man somehow, huh.

“You too, pervert.”

“Oh, not this again. Shut up!!”

Ouch!! Is that a round-house kick? Wow, it’s a total rampage to my head. Where’s that one coming from?

“I yield, Fritz.”

“Don’t be a klutz, Lambardi. Here, have another shot.”

Ugh, It hurts!! he hit my guts with his jab...

“cough....cough.... Hey, How could this happen? Am I really impenetrable?”

“By projectile, yes. But a blunt? Not in a chance. Continue, Rizo.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Stop it! Are you gonna punch me in the face for the next dish?”

“Verily.”

“Halt that one for now, Rizo. You are his boxing mentor for the week. I’ll clear out the mission for you for the time being.”

Not this again.... Do I have to bulk up anymore? Was my rigorous punch and kick sufficient for me to trade blows?

“It’s the cue to hone the tigers within, smugshot. I’ll teach you manners of a bloke for today.”