Dorothy watched on as Cowardly Lion was escorted by the nurse to the medics. She was not worried about her companion’s health and survivability, he had gone through far more life-threatening wounds and scenarios during the war to conquer Oz and still managed to get back up. He was as tough as they came and wouldn’t die even if the world collapsed on him.
Still…
“His energy level increased?”
What Noah had shown was inherently impossible for just about anyone in the entire universe. In the reality they lived in, it was common knowledge that a particular individual’s reserves of Dark Matter were more or less fixed from birth. It was a show of talent and potential and a measure to filter out the pathetic from the mighty. Of course, there were some races that could seemingly progressively grow stronger as they grew older— but it was not as one would expect and they merely unlocked more of the untapped potential that was already present inside them from birth rather than growing their reserve.
However, what Noah managed to achieve – more or less tripling his reserve like some kind of energy spike in the middle of heated combat – was fundamentally different from any concept of Dark Matter that was deemed possible. It just didn’t make sense on an atomic level and spiritual level, that’s how mind-boggling Noah’s feat was.
Was he hiding his original levels?
A plausible thought, the only sensible thought in this scenario, but that didn’t seem to be the case here. Already, she had witnessed his Dark Matter reserves increase exponentially after he had gone through a short-term hibernation not long ago. Now, he had shown the capability to multiply his reserves up to three times at least out of the blue.
Though from another angle, other than natural growth that uncovered one’s full potential, there were some forbidden techniques capable of increasing one’s reserve for an extremely short period but they were deemed Forbidden for a reason, after all. Those haphazard techniques weren’t something any sane individual would dare to dish out just for a duel with no particular stake. And from what she observed and was still observing, Noah wasn’t showing any signs or negative detriments that one would usually see from someone who had invoked a forbidden art.
In fact, his condition was far from anything remotely close to that scenario. It seemed like he was feeling at an all-time high securing that quick victory.
Dorothy was finally able to gain an inkling of how Noah was able to defeat someone of Omid’s caliber with his previous, negligible capabilities. More importantly, however…
“Crow, make sure to erase all records of this fight from the public server. Keep them in our secret folder.”
[Understood.]
She released a sigh, her theory that Noah was more akin to a cosmic beast than anything even remotely human was making more and more sense now and was basically proven in all aspects except concrete evidence. Cosmic Beasts could always do things that defied the common sense that had been already established by the World order. Hence, she couldn’t say that she was all that surprised by Noah’s increasingly astounding capabilities except for the initial stupor.
If there was one problem though, “You should stop grinning like a fool.”
Dorothy cupped her face, trying her best to ignore the grinning Morgiana who only started cackling like an evil witch after hearing her remark, “I guess seers are not all-seeing after all, eh?” Her eyes gleamed ominously as she looked at Dorothy up and down like a hunter gazing at her prey, “Well, I hope you are ready. I have some pink bikini clothes from Cinderella’s collection. I am sure they will suit you wonderfully.”
“You seem unsurprised by his display.” Dorothy spoke with an exasperated sigh, to which Morgiana only answered with a shrug, as she always did, “You should know by now that all the members of our crew have their own secrets or special skills. I am not in the least bit surprised, to be honest. Rather, I am more happy than anything else right now. Getting beat by a monster like him is far less humiliating, after all. Now then, don’t try to change the subject. Those bikinis will not wear themselves after all.”
Dorothy closed her eyes in defeat, regretting that despite her mastery of time, she had no way to rewind it. Sadly, time trickled in its own constant and she had no choice but to respect her bet.
———
Thankfully, Noah was neither arrested nor stopped from continuing his visit to the world of Oz. Though his stay in the training section of the region was cut short, he would be allowed to come back once Cowardly Lion was healed from… all the punishment he received from that single supercharged punch.
A new and bigger mechanical crow had arrived to fetch him as they went toward their next destination.
Tin Can hangar.
“So… How is Lion doing?”
[He will not die.]
“Oh…”
That was perhaps the driest answer he had heard in a long while, as expected of an AI thought Noah. At least he could finally leak a sigh of relief at the good news. He did not give any apology though. This was a fair fight and the two of them engaged in the duel with full knowledge of the risks that pertained to any combat scenarios. Giving an apology now would be no different from insulting Lion.
“So, why am I visiting this… Tin Can fellow again?”
[Answer: Tin Man is the chief operator for all Frames and Power Armors of Oz. He is also our specialized mechanic. Even though it's impossible for him to create a new mecha from scratch, his team should be able to bring some light modification to any existing frame to make it suitable for you and give you a comfortable usage without any incompatibilities.]
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“I see… seems like you guys really hold all the power in this world, huh…”
Noah was realizing once again that he was being escorted by one of the leaders of an interstellar civilization, and they were certainly not small fries by any means.
[Excluding Dorothy, Oz has 7 great dignitaries. The three of us take care of external threats while the four witches take care of internal threats. As for most governmental tasks, I alone am enough to take care of everything in that sector.]
Having a super AI sure is handy.
Noah whistled inwardly at the thought until they finally reached the hangar. It was in a way quite similar to one of the largest airports on earth, only two or three times bigger.
In Noah’s visions scenes of robots and humans running around and checking things, moving parts, shouting at each other, or even sleeping on the ground while taking a short pause were practically a constant. It was a cohesive network of interconnected tasks, handled by both organic and inorganic beings alike.
Suffice to say, the place was as bustling as it could get and the scent of oil and sweat filled his nose with a sense of nostalgic comfort as it reminded him of his visits to his own hangar when he had to repair Ouroboros.
Thinking of Ouroboros, Noah sighed slightly before shaking his head, “So, what kind of Mecha will I be getting?”
From what Noah had seen, while the new Mecha were technically superior to his Ouroboros, they were still very limited at the end of the day and were unlike Exclusive Mechas of the likes of The Scorched. They were also far shorter than the ones he was used to. Which in itself wasn’t a problem, at the end of the day. He could make do with it until he obtained enough money to create something better.
“Allow me to answer this question.”
A middle-aged voice similar to that of a British gentleman reached him as one robot wearing a strange mechanical monocle on his right eye, a gentleman’s suit and two white gloves akin to ancient butlers walked toward them with elegant steps.
Noah took a look at Tin Can once again. It or he, was tall, reaching around 190 cm and walked with the poise and calm expected from royalty. His clothes were quite stylish, Noah had to admit, and if not for the fact that he had the foreknowledge of him being a sentient robot… Noah could have sworn for days that he was just a man wearing an elaborate mask.
“Hello.”
“Welcome to my humble hangar. I have heard that you beat down Lion? That is quite admirable, quite admirable, indeed. That prideful Lion needed someone to knock some sense into him.”
Noah could only direct a small smile. At the very least this robot was quite direct.
“Oho. Look at me. I nearly forgot my purpose.” It tapped its head, which brought quite the mechanical echo and nodded, “Before anything, I believe that Lady Dorothy already informed you but Oz is not exactly at the top when it comes to Knightframes. We are a growing industry, but we have always been more focused on mass destruction weapons and…”
[Tin. Stop babbling and just go to the point.]
“Of course, dear. Of course. So where was I? Yes. We are not quite there yet. But we can afford some practical frames for you. Unless you already know what you want, we can do a little visit, yes? Let’s go for a visit. Hoho, I cannot wait. This will be positively magnificent. Let’s start with a new power armor. No self-respecting warrior walks around without good power armor. Style and strength, my dear. A powerful combo.”
Noah stood speechless as he watched Tin come and go like a comet without even giving him the chance to speak a word.
“This…”
[Apologies. Do not mind his harebrained manners. He only means well.]
“Why are you still standing? The day is going and time is waiting for no one. We have a visit to do. My mind is positively gushing with ideas. Hohoho. Such a handsome lad. It’s a crime to not have him clad in fabulous clothes.”
Tin waved his mechanical hands and urged them to come forward and follow him. Noah had expected many things when imagining a sentient robot. What he did not expect was some robot stylist of all things.
———
With Tin’s brisk pace, it did not take them long to reach one of the changing rooms,
“So dear. From the video, I just received of your fight you seem to be a power-type fighter, yes? Instant combustion, powerful attack, one shot? Or are you more of a tactical type? Speed?”
“I… I don’t really know? I mean, I generally just fought for survival. I don’t really think I have a fixed type.”
It was one thing if it was about his mecha pilot skills, but as a fighter, Noah was really the type to simply go for whatever was the best at the moment.
“Hoo. Feral, quick thinking, and perhaps some stealth added to the mix. Umu. This is coming all together. Yes. I can feel it. Any color you have a particular fondness for? I can be quite accommodating.”
Noah thought about the armor he could form with Eve and spoke, “Something in dark and gold schemes.”
“Marvelous! Regal, powerful, and with a hint of danger.” Tin snapped his finger and multiple holographic pictures manifested in their surroundings.
“The first thing to do is to add the modules that will be necessary. Stealth mode, scent erasure, silent steps. A terrain detector and a healing supply injection.” Noah marveled at how a nearly faceless robot was able to display such a range of emotions.
“Since you have your own racial talent, I will have to take this into account. Fusing? Blood sample? Hum… Too dangerous.” He shook his head before snapping his finger, “The new memo bots should do the job for your first armor. Simple, efficient. A little on the expensive side, but nothing that can't take some destruction. Once we have more data, we can create a more appropriate armor set for you.”
More than ten screens were closed, and he gazed at the remaining three, “Any elemental power? No? Alright. Focus on physical amplification, then. It will do for now. What about weapons? Sword? Spear, Gun? I say some rail gun would be quite alright. Some range with your fighting style would be ideal.”
Tin snapped its fingers once again, leaving only one screen in front of him, “Perfect! Now that the internal mainframe is done. Let’s work on the style, shall we?”
“Is style really that important?” Noah swore he heard Crow groan – he didn’t really think it was possible for a crow to groan or even a super AI like him to do that but it was it seemed – when he asked and he soon understood why.
“Is style important?” Tin paused, as if Noah had asked some incomprehensible question that his program could not process.
“Noah darling. Style is obviously important. Style is life. Style is war. Style is blood. Style is survival!”
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, “All living beings evolved with style in mind. Weak creatures would make themselves bigger or more colorful to scare predators, while predators would have a more subdued style to hide in plain sight and hunt. Even outside the animal kingdom, such rules are prevalent in society.
“A king must wear clothes befitting a king. All people wear clothes representing their position in society and they change them depending on the situation and occasion. Why do you think pirates go around with black flags and skulls? Why do armies wear matching uniforms? The clothes make the monk, my dear. First impressions last forever. If two people have the same message and do the same speech, the stylish one will be considered more respectable. Do you understand, dear? Even…”
A long speech started and Noah was forced to stand for thirty minutes and listen to the history of fashion of the Milky Way galaxy.
This would certainly be a memorable moment for him.