Earth: The Second

Battle of the Fountain

Protection has always been one of the most crucial aspects when it comes to combat. Either back in the old world or this new world, one can not strike carelessly without considering what they have to do to minimize the damage that they would receive. Back then, people are protecting themself with a suit made out of metal, it then needs several thousand years, before human technology grew advance, and they would wage war inside a metal-covered vehicle called a ‘tank’. 

It’s just that, the cycle of civilization had been restarted, and humans are going back to the days they wear suits of armor. By all means, this is not true for Adma, as he is frozen in time among the citizen of this new world. He brings back what used to be his civilization’s greatest achievement: A power to combine technology, with organic tissue. Technology to create a cyborg.

The technology that creates Adma for what he is also granted him power beyond human ability to do. He does not bleed, he does not feel the extreme amount of pain like ordinary humans, and every technology hidden inside his body is a powerful weapon against this era, where technology is not so advance.

And that is where the element of surprise comes in.

After the attack from Black Claws members, Adma’s disguise has been found out. His clothes are torn up and showed a body made of foreign material, that shaped just like human muscle structure. The only difference is that no skin or meat on Adma, only that black-muscle armor, while Adma’s face at least has a skin layer made out of silicone.

The members of the black claws are surprised as this is the first time they see this in their entire life. but not with Boss. 

“Look what we got here… A human made out of metal? What you actually are?” again, with the sword in his hand, Boss storms toward Adma. Adma readied his stance, and try to read where that man will attack. Boss swings his sword from the right, and that is where Adma duck down. He quickly got up and swing his fist, only to meet empty air, as Boss also dodging and counter-attacking.

Adma has to take extra caution, as his punching power decreased more than ten percent from Kaina’s attack on his shoulders. He tried to turn the table with his kicks, but the cyborg is not accustomed to the new fighting style before, as he always uses his fist to deal blows

As Boss keeps swinging his sword, Adma decides to step back and take the defensive position. Boss swings his sword downward again, but Adma successfully catches the blade with the palm of his hands. 

“With abilities like that, no wonder you are able to take down a bear,” comments Boss, he pulls down his sword, and suddenly gives Adma a heavy thrust to the face. 

Can not matching with the man’s speed, Adma can only tilt his head, and let the blade scrapes a small portion of his silicone skin. 

Adma then proceeds to create distance between the two of them, to minimize more damage to his body. Through the UI that appeared in his eye, he still sees a red notification on his shoulders, thighs, and face. It looks like Boss’s attack is fiercer than it looks since he manages to deal damage in a place that he did not expect.

He looks at Boss in the eyes. That man is smiling. Panting, but he seemed not agitated by Adma that keeps fighting back.

“What a powerful body, one that does not feel tired, and bleeding. Is that because of your Artifact? Or is there something else even more?” Boss screamed as he runs toward Adma again.

“Navigator, I leave it to you!” shouted Adma.

Inside his head, Navigator quickly counting the possibility for a powerful kick that would be effective to bring Boss down. It automatically set the left foot to balance all of Adma’s body weight, while the right foot is preparing in the back. As the Boss come inside Adma’s range of fire, his right foot then swung at an incredibly fast speed and hitting Boss’s right bodyside.

The kick successfully threw Boss to the opposite side, and he fell to the ground. But he quickly backs up, again with a smile on his face.

“That… Is… Awesome!” he screamed as he standing back. “You are the one that I looking for, stranger! Please tell me your name!” 

“If I tell my name, would you stop attacking me?” asked Adma.

“You probably already know the answer, so I won’t say it to you. But who knows? Maybe we can work something out,” answer Boss.

“...My name is Adma, I’m just a traveler who happens to arrive in this city.” 

“Ah, I see! You are being humble, probably to hide your true identity? Come on, Adma! We are not going to fall for that!”

Jeez, this person is making me sick. think Adma to himself. He looked at his surroundings again, even if he can get away from this lunatic, he has subordinates that seem able to fight as well. With the exception of the previous female, all of them did not move very much. Are they waiting for the right time to attack?

Adma’s head keeps thinking of every possibility that he could use to fight back. He is tempted to use Void Canon to clean them all in one go, but the effect probably will be too severe to handle. Adma himself did not want to kill every obstacle that he will meet along the way.

What about playing stupid and say that it is the first time I heard about Artifacts? Seems that will not help either.

Started running out of ideas. Adma finally decides to take extreme action. 

***

“You guys keep spouting Artifacts this, and Artifacts that. If I say that you will not accomplish your goal by attacking me, what will you do then?” Adma shouted to the Black Claws, asking for the last thing before he makes his way out of this situation.

“Either you have it or not, we are going to know the truth after we talk hearth-to-hearth, traveler. It is just that our employer is a person who can not be compromised, and you are our only lead to completed it,” answer Boss.

“Well, that would be problematic,” commented Adma. “I feel very uncomfortable to come along with people that tried to kill me!”

“Caution: Engaging lethal combat profile, please mark your targets.” 

As Navigator’s voice echoed on Adma’s mind, he quickly scanning his vision. Each of the Black Claws members is then locked with a target sign on their head, including Boss himself.

The navigator then quickly takes control of Adma’s movement. He down all four, and suddenly, his reaction are far more responsive to the environment behind him. Adma’s speed also increased tenfolds, as he manages to run past Boss.

Smile has gone from his face, as he realizes that Adma is targeting the lesser enemies first, and among them, of course, are Toby and Oddy.

Toby froze up when he sees Adma’s face suddenly appeared in front of him. He knew his face since yesterday, and always angry since then, but the only thing that showed now is the face terrified animal.

Again, Adma moved quickly and now appeared behind him. The cyborg circling his arm around the thug’s head.

“Wait! No! No! Please!” Toby screamed for mercy, but Adma has made his decision. He quickly spins that head 180 degrees, and the sound of broken bones comes from that man.

A moment later is Toby’s cold body that lay on the ground. Lifeless, and with eyes full of terror.

One of their comrade’s death now makes all of the Black Claws tenses up. But one of them is furious enough to attack back Adma.

“Toby, no!” Oddy screamed with his sword unsheathed. “You monster! I’m going to kill you!” 

But Adma is much faster. He quickly Toby’s sword from his corpse, and threw it at Oddy that is running in his direction.

Oddy has been too scared. He could not dodge in time because his mind is clouded with revenge and afraid for the man in front of him. The blade that had been thrown by Adma then lodged on his chest, and Oddy fell to the ground while he running. The ground then quickly painted red with the pool of blood from that adventurer.

Boss, Kaina, and Boran go quiet after witnessing the death of their subordinate. Boran decides to take the initiative to stand between Adma and Boss, with his shield up.

“This is your last chance to leave, or I will break all of your necks.” Adma threatening them, and this time, his message is successfully conveyed to those adventurers. Boss is not smiling again, instead, he is sweating while gritting his teeth.

“What is your decision?” Kaina standing beside him with her twin knives. “I managed to stab him. It’s not like he is invulnerable,” 

“Yes, but no blood, no pain, no sweat. He is a monster that able to move despite every scar that we can give to him,” replied Boss. “If we want to beat him, we have brought a bigger sword. Chop his hand and feet from a single swing, and then lock him up inside a chest.”

“We retreat?” asked Kaina.

“We retreat,” replied Boss.

“Alright, stranger! You get what you want after killing our subordinates! But you just showed that you hiding many things for us! Believe me, that we will try much harder to reveal your secret! Expect us to be back!” shouted Boss.

“There will be no next time! If I see you again, I will kill you right away!” replied Adma.

***

Boss then commands Boran and Kaina to retreat. As they go farther away, Adma realized that the body of their dead companions is left behind, without any effort to bring them back, or buried them.

“How despicable,” Adma said to himself. He had returned to his normal mode. A little bit of his heart feels regret that he has to go as far as killing them. Adma decides that he himself will carry the burial of these people, just like what he already did before.