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3.04% Endless Evolution: Last Star / Chapter 24: Exoskeleton

Kapitel 24: Exoskeleton

Operators, Harvesters, Military, Harvesters, Blacksmiths, Phantoms, and all those who worked to protect the Citadel were valuable assets, their condition was constantly monitored, so when Orin and Silvia fell to the ground their bracelets flashed bright red, calling for an ambulance.

A few minutes later, in addition to the doctors in white coats, a squad of military personnel ran into Inferno Forge, looking for the cause of the accident. If someone had injured the Operator and Blacksmith right in the Forge, it was either a dangerous criminal or some monster that had managed to enter the Citadel.

However, sometimes neither assumption proved to be correct.

"What...? Phantom...?"

One of the military muttered, pointing his rifle at Adam, who was standing motionless next to the pod. He didn't know what to do in a situation like this, so he just put his hands up, trying to show that he wasn't the enemy.

"Commander... What do we do?" The military man asked without taking his eyes off Adam.

A woman stepped forward, she was the only one not wearing a helmet and her face was uncovered, and on her head was a military beret with a sharp peak. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a look that had seen a lot.

"Oh... Looks like we have quite a tricky situation here." The woman looked around, glancing at Orin and Silvana.

Then, she glanced at Adam.

"Hey, you just got your Nexus, didn't you?"

The military men looked over, puzzled. They didn't see any weapon in Adam's hands, nor did they see a case where that weapon could be located. 

"Fools, his Nexus is his gloves. I won't judge you though, it's not often you get a Nexus like that." The woman shrugged nonchalantly.

Adam nodded slightly.

"Yes... Orin tried to stop me, but I didn't listen to her. I just couldn't stop anymore, my hands were moving on their own." Adam explained, not trying to justify himself in any way.

"I see. My name is Layla, I think I understand the situation, but you still have to come with me and file a report. If Orin or Silvana file a complaint against you then we will have to act, I hope you understand that."

Layla waved her hand, signaling the military to stand back and the doctors to carry Silvana and Orin away. Layla was about to leave, but as soon as she took a few steps she stopped, touching the earbud. Her face changed several times, from frowning and puzzled to excited.

Then, another military man entered the room, but it was clear from his clothing that he was from a different squad. Someone had definitely sent him here for some purpose.

In the man's hands were several cases, similar to the ones Lisa had used against the lizards in Scorching Dester.

"Well, well, young man, looks like you've piqued the interest of someone up top." Layla turned around, looking at Adam curiously.

"All charges against you are dropped, but Mr. Douglas wants you to do something." Layla smirked, kneading her shoulder.

Adam's eyes went wide.

"Douglas? How does he know what happened here..."

Layla shrugged.

"That old man has eyes and ears everywhere, surely he knew you were supposed to pick up your Nexus from Forge today. Whatever, Mr. Douglas wants you to fight me." Layla uttered with an excited expression.

"No." Adam replied sharply, "I don't fight against humans."

"I know, great motto, but it won't be a mortal combat, it'll be a sparring match. What's more, you don't have a choice because now I'm interested in it too."

"You want to fight me? We met a few minutes ago. You can't have any more reason to do so than Douglas." Adam frowned. He didn't want to be made an enemy because of this situation.

"Well, there are two reasons why I would attack you anyway. One, Douglas wants to see what you and your Nexus can do. After all, that's pretty important information. Two: I've been given a unique opportunity to test out a new gear and I'm not going to miss this chance!"

At the same moment, Layla opened the largest case.

There was a black suit covered with protective plates, made of an extremely strong yet flexible material.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Layla uttered with a smile, examining herself in the suit.

"Mrs. Layla, this is still experimental, so the 'Andromeda' Exoskeleton has a few limitations and high power consumption. After you turn on the generator on your chest you'll have five minutes." The man standing against the wall said.

Layla nodded before opening the second case which was smaller.

There lay the combat gauntlets, with jet engines built in to maximize the power and acceleration of the impact.

"Damn! That's what this is! Did you originally make these for me?" Layla exclaimed happily.

The man shrugged.

"Many different weapons were created at once, so I was ordered to bring the most suitable one for you. Also, don't forget to open the third case."

Layla nodded, opening the last and smallest case.

"What is this...?" Layla was puzzled.

Underneath the glass box, in full protection, lay a metal capsule with a green liquid inside and a long needle.

"It's the X-01 amplifier, the very first but completely safe version. In short, for 30 seconds it will give you abilities partially comparable to when Phantoms enter a state of Resonance. Of course, the effect won't be as strong, but it'll still temporarily elevate you to the next level." The man calmly explained.

"Side effects?" Layla asked with a stern look.

The man nodded slightly.

"Severe fatigue, dizziness, vomiting, headaches, hunger, thirst, and more, but nothing critical or that won't go away in 24 hours."

Layla sighed, put the syringe on her belt, and handed Adam the syringe. He had already resigned himself to the fact that Layla wouldn't back down, so he was ready for a fight.

"I hope you're ready. I know you underestimate me since you're a Phantom, but I'm sure with all this, I can make you tense up! After all, I'm best at punching people!" Layla exclaimed with an excited expression before smacking the generator on her chest. 

Blue lines of energy spread throughout her exoskeleton, filling her body with power.

"As a final note, I wouldn't advise you to let him swipe the threads on his gloves, the exoskeleton protects your body but not your brain from sound." The man said calmly.

Layla nodded and took a step forward.

At the same moment, she approached Adam at breakneck speed with complete seriousness in her gaze. After all, she was military, and her main duty was to follow orders.

Now, she had to show the full potential of an exoskeleton and a mere human with only physical power and technology.

The engines on her gauntlets activated, allowing her to attack at top speed.

In a heartbeat, her fist came down directly on Adam, who was still standing motionless.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble. 

Streams of air blew sideways, causing ripples from the point of impact. The engines were running at full power just as Layla did, but it wasn't enough to make Adam budge.

"I told you already. I don't fight people." Adam muttered, one hand restraining Layla's fist.

Layla's eyes went wide. No matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn't hurt Adam's gloves. Not only were they durable, but they also absorbed some of the damage without any recoil.

The man narrowed his eyes, seemingly not expecting this result at all.


Kapitel 25: Bright Future

'It can't be... I'm sure my punch was powerful enough to knock back a White Threat Level monster... There wouldn't have been enough momentum for more, but isn't he a rookie?' Layla inwardly muttered with a puzzled look at Adam.

Adam swung his hand, causing Layla to bounce away, then he serenely headed towards the exit as if she wasn't there.

"Where are you going?!" Layla exclaimed belligerently, ready to fight.

"To the hospital. I have those I need to keep an eye on. I don't have time for these games." Adam said seriously, "Find someone willing to fight, I'm sure among the Phantoms, you'll find one easily."

Layla bit her lip until it bled, she was both humiliated and hurt by the situation, so she decided to use a last resort to make Adam get back into the fight.

The motors on her gauntlets flashed brightly as on each gauntlet three cells of electric darts opened. As if from a crossbow, they flew out, approaching Adam at great speed.

He heard a distinct click, but he didn't turn around, because even something that fast couldn't hurt him.

Whooooooooooooosh.

Adam jerked his head a few times, darts flying close to his neck, but none reached their target.

"Bye." Adam waved his hand slightly with a final glance at the man.

The man only nodded a bit, adjusting his hat, which cast a shadow over his face.

"What the fuck was that...?" Layla muttered confused, not believing what was happening.

The man shrugged.

"Even though he's a young man, he seems to have principles. He said he doesn't fight humans, so we can't force him to do it. Don't worry, you'll be able to experience that gear again soon, though with a different Phantom."

Layla sighed heavily.

"Shit... I definitely wouldn't go to a party with him, otherwise it would be too boring one."

...

Orin and Silvana were hurt at the same time, so they were put in the same hospital and the same room.

Adam was a bit worried, after all, he was the cause of what happened. Orin and Silvana had a right to be angry with him, Adam knew that.

"Hey. How are you?" Adam said awkwardly, entering the room with a bag filled with fruit and sweets.

To his surprise, Orin and Silvana were perfectly fine. Orin was playing something on her tablet while Silvana was reading some articles.

"Adam! Hah, I knew you'd come!" Orin exclaimed happily, tossing the tablet aside.

"Unexpected, I thought you'd spend this time practicing." Silvana glanced at Adam.

Adam smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry about what happened, I don't know what came over me." Adam picked up the bag, "Who'll have the chocolates?"

"Here! I'm ready to eat them all!" Orin exclaimed vigorously.

Silvana stared at the bag.

"One apple will be enough for me. We've been told not to eat much anytime soon, though we're fine."

"Are you sure?" Adam asked worriedly, handing her the apple.

Silvana nodded.

"Sure, your Nexus's ability turned out the way you wanted it to, it's a mass attack. The pain is strong and piercing, but it's not powerful enough to kill, though, for a few seconds, all the enemies around you will be stunned, that's for sure."

Adam smiled bitterly.

"Even in a situation like this, you're making a serious assessment. You know, sometimes you just have to forget about everything and enjoy your apple with a rest."

Silvana didn't answer anything, she just took a bite of the apple.

"Well, she's right." Orin pronounced, shoving the candy into herself, " I watched your fight against Prime Stone Goliath like many people. You have no problems with speed and firepower, perhaps lacking in defense, but the reflexes from the artifact fix that. However, if you were surrounded by ten or twenty monsters at once, you wouldn't be able to do anything."

"Yeah, I know. After all, it's my Nexus and my idea." Adam nodded.

Orin's eyes went wide as if Adam had said something unusual.

"Really? All Phantoms think about their Nexus, but more often than not they choose their Operators' ideas or consult the Blacksmith."

"Well... I just wanted something similar to my needle and something I could use in any situation." Adam scratched the back of his head.

Orin smirked as she continued to eat.

After a while, Adam sat down next to Silvana with a slightly sad but deep look in his eyes.

"Thinking about something?" Silvana asked.

Adam nodded.

"When I lived in the slums, I thought the only chance for a better life was to become a Phantom, and you can't say I was wrong. Harvesters, Operators, Military, Blacksmiths, there are so many different options, but they're only available to those who live in the Third Ring and above."

Silvana and Orin glanced over at each other. They were not originally from the slums, so it was hard for them to understand how Adam felt. After all, there were hardly any Phantoms from the slums, the chances were too slim, especially Naturalborn Ones.

"Well, unfortunately, that's how our world works." Silvana said calmly, "The main goal of our Citadel is to survive, which means morality takes a back seat. It's easier to train people from the Rings, as well as the greater chance that Phantoms will be born there."

Adam bit his lip until it bled. He wasn't stupid and realized that from the government's point of view and cold calculation, that was true, but not for someone from the slums, not for his family!

"However, things are gradually improving. You probably don't know this, but in the last 10 years, slums have decreased by 3.5%, and average wages have increased by 7.3%. Sure, that's not enough for global change, but progress is not standing still. At this rate, there may be nothing left of slums in a few decades, but that's too positive a prediction." Silvana explained in her typical manner.

Adam sighed heavily, looking up at the ceiling.

"By the way, you have a little sister, right?" Orin asked.

Adam nodded.

"Yeah, Trici, she's seven years old."

"Oh, then she can go to any of the academies next year. Maybe she'll make a good Operator, a cool Military, or a creative Blacksmith. The options are many." Orin offered, in a way as if it was something obvious.

Adam looked at Silvana, "What do you think?"

"Sure, Orin is completely right. Trici can become anything she wants from a store worker to a personal Operator or Blacksmith. However, it's all quite difficult and pretty expensive. Moreover, there's always the chance that she'll become a Phantom, and then she'll have to rebuild." Silvana nodded deeply.

Adam wanted to say something, but Silvana interrupted him, which was not like her at all.

"I'm not too familiar with her, but from what I've seen she has the set-ups to become a Blacksmith. It's more important to her that the project she's spent time and effort on be intact than herself. She's also a pretty active kid."

Silvana glanced at Orin.

"Am I saying that right?"

"Yeah. Adam, the Blacksmiths don't just build Nexuses, those are special orders, we mostly work with weapons, technology, and robots. Anything that can help the military." Orin explained.

Adam had a dark look in his eyes at first, but now his eyes were wide open, shining brightly. 

He realized that unlike him, his sister had a chance at a future without violent experiments and deadly fights for life.

Trici could become a Blacksmith like Orin, creating things that would help ordinary people survive in this cruel world!


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