It has been weeks now since I woke up and Dylan kept his mouth tight about something related to Asagao-chan. I requested him a lot of times to send me back below ground.
I absolutely must continue my fight, even with only one arm left.
I have done nothing for the past few days but do one hand push-ups, one hand pull-ups, thousands of sit-ups and much more. In the night, most of his colleague visits to have a party or sometimes, it’s just us drinking serenely under the moonlight.
My friends and companions that I have known in this world are still out there fighting their own battles and I am just here sitting idly.
I need to get to their side somehow and support them as much as I can. I want to help in any way I can.
But Dylan refused to send me back below ground. He told me that I should wait for the perfect time and that I should rethink my decision. He mentions that he enjoys my company.
In just short time, this old geezer feels like a drunkard grandfather who gives credible advice. Not that I want him as a grandfather figure. I mean, he is too weird.
There was one time I ask him about their research and what do they do at daytime.
“Oh? We do research a lot and we need to test out many things! We need to rebuild our empire after all. We could have reached the peak of our success if we have succeeded in dominating the human lands.”
“So you are saying that these technologies you have here are sub-par compared to what you can actually achieve that time?”
“Yeah! Two hundred years worth was lost because all of our blueprints and data was destroyed.”
“And you guys sleep and drink every day…”
“You can’t take that away from us!”
“How many hours do you guys work actually and the time you consume drinking and sleeping?!”
“Hmm… you could say we spend ten or twelve hours in sleeping and we spend eight hours sometimes in partying!”
“…Four hours of work?!”
“Come on! It’s not that bad!”
“If you guys just cut back from drinking and work earnestly, I bet that two hundred years you spent could have taken you guys further from what you have now…”
“We also thought about that! But we are not the ethers without our boozes! Ga hahaha!!!”
But today, I am going to convince him for sure. I am going to make him send me back. I am worried about them after all.
I get on my wheelchair and left my room. I went straight to the balcony where he always stays.
When I arrive at there, he wasn’t sitting in his usual rocking chair. I already have an idea where he is at this time so I set out to go to the research center myself.
I have been there for a few times, but never actually saw the place where they research nor where they work.
.
.
.
When I arrive, Dylan is standing in the hallway. His face tells that he is expecting me. I approach the old man and I am going to vent out my protest to him.
“Dylan, I had enough already. I don’t want to rot in this place any further.”
“That’s a harsh thing you say, boy... Is a little peace for you really that suffocating?”
“I have things I needed to do. I am just doing nothing here are at all. Meanwhile, my friends are doing their best to become stronger!”
“Boy…”
“I appreciate everything that you have done for me. I enjoyed being here, but I don’t want to live a life where I am only enjoying while my friends aren’t.”
“I see… do you really want to go back right now without any legs and with only one arm intact to your body?”
“Even if I am just a crawling torso and head, I will do everything. To receive one last attack or any magic directed to my companions just to save them. I will use my life to save them at all cost. This is not about being useless, but it is about unable to do anything when you know they are trying hard to survive and I am just here stuck.”
“It seems I underestimated you resolve, boy… I am sorry… for keeping you here long enough…”
“Dylan…”
“Not really in appearance but you resemble my dead grandson from long ago who was killed by the continental destroyer…”
“…”
“That’s all there is to it… I am sorry, boy…”
I feel bad for saying everything too, but I have to make him. I owe so much too by just saving my life. I want to repay him back for all the things he did. But first, I need to do what I must. I have to force my way here.
“Follow me, boy. I will take you to my private lab.”
“?”
He suddenly blurts that out. He led me inside further into the facility. I saw many robots and machinery on the way. There are also golems and beast type robots that are being developed. On another side, there are various pile and scraps of metal that were being reused or recycled. They are also testing some firearms and kinetic barriers that could block spells and such. There are also technologies for improving daily lives for home and industrial use.
I have known most of the researchers there so I waved and greeted them on the way. Some are still drunk and some are suffering from hangover. What made me doubt their efficiency on their work is that some of them are still drinking in the work.
Dylan never bats an eye to them and instead, he just told me…
“Some of them don’t want to experience hangover so they continuously consume mead even in work.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
That’s plain terrible if this was a company or industrial factory back in our world. Well, no matter, it’s what they want to do after all…
…
After a while, we arrive in the most secluded corridor where no one else is present. At the end of it, there’s a large metallic door. Dylan leads me there and we enter the room.
Inside the room is his laboratory which he called private. There is blueprints and mess of papers in the tables in the corners. There are also metal scraps everywhere and there’s a board where there’s scribbled words and things I don’t understand at all.
But the highlight of the laboratory is in the middle of the room…
Mechanical Arm and Legs with jet black metallic color…
…
…
…
“Boy… this is what I have been doing for the past weeks.”
“Eh?”
“It’s…actually for you… it is something I want you to use. It’s a spirit tech that I have honed for the past two hundred years just by myself. I have to rush it for the past week so you can use it. This is what I am have been working hard to achieve, and you boy will be the one who will put it to great use.”
“D-Dylan…”
“I can feel how eager you are. You are the noble and dignified man who will stand up for your beliefs of protecting others. And right now, you are the one who needed it the most.”
“I…But…but… we are…”
“Enemies, foes, whatever, it does not matter right now. You are right now, a drinking buddy, a friend and a companion who hated cheese because you ate it so many times. Boy, I am overstepping my bounds as a member of the Order of Arcana to give light to as hero like you.”
My emotion swells up. I hardened my fist and clench my teeth because of how happy I am and at the same time, how badly I want to tear up right now.
“You have already lost your blessing, boy.”
“Ah…I know… I can feel it…”
“But with this spirit tech, a large influx of spirit will enter your body to fill what fragment left on your soul. It will not fill the years you have lost, but you will attain new powers.”
“Dylan…are you sure? I…I can’t repay you… I can’t yet… but I am not going to refuse…”
My body is trembling with excitement…
A new power to obtain so I can be useful to everyone…
“Don’t be too emotional, boy! We haven’t even started yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“I still don’t know how this is going to work. I just recently finished this up because I acquired my Arcana magic which none of my colleagues knows. Spirits of any variety may enter your body, that it may undergo drastic changes. We still don’t know if it is safe. So I sugge--!”
“No…let me do it at all cost!”
“Are you sure, boy?”
“I am! This would also be helpful to you right?”
“You’re not wrong. But it is dangerous… are you ready?”
“I am born ready.”
“So, let’s get it on. First, we are going to reconnect the arm.”
“Can’t we do it all together?”
“Boy, if the spirits don't recognize you as someone rightful for their powers, they may end up destroying you. We are going to do it part by part so we can lighten the damage the spirit may cause to your body.”
“It doesn’t matter. Please do it all together. It’s either they reject or accept me. I will make them accept me.”
“A brave one or a foolish one, have you ever asked which one those you are, boy?”
“No doubt, it’s the foolish one.”
“Ga hahaha! You’re an interesting boy, after all! Then let’s do it! Don’t blame me if you die!”
Dylan proceeded in arranging the things he needed. I lay down on inclining bed and he straps me tight on it. He said that the process may be painful so I needed to be restrained so I won’t struggle and flail much.
He, one by one, lay down the spirit tech limbs at their rightful places and turns something on.
The whole place glowed with spectacular blue light!
Energy fills the whole room as spirits began to gather in the vicinity. A transparent orb with horizontal and diagonal lines covers it like a globe. There are cryptic writing here and there that floats in the air.
“Boy, all preparations are done. I am going to fill your body with a large amount of spirits now while connecting the spirit tech limbs to your body.”
“Ok.”
“Are you sure you are ready?”
“I am!”
“Then let’s start!”
Dylan left outside the vicinity of the globe and went to the operating table where various buttons and advanced technologies are laid. As he does his things, spirits begin to enter my the spirit tech limbs connecting it to my cut off limbs.
!!!
“ARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!”
“Endure it, boy!”
“GUHHHHHHH! ARRRCCCCCCCKKKK!!”
“Think of all the pretty ladies waiting for your return!!!”
“GUUUUUUUH! D-DAMN GEEZER!”
“Think of all the boozes you wanted to test!!! Think of those pretty butts you wanted to touch!!!”
“SHUUUUUUUUUUT UPPPPPPPPPP!”
“STOP TOUCHING YOURSELF AT NIGHT AND FIND A GIRL TO DO IT WITH YOU!!!”
“I REGRET BEING OVERLY EMOTIONAL WITH YOUR KINDNESS!”
“GA HAHAHA! THAT’S THE SPIRIT!!!”
Even in this situation!!