Behind the human and the bunny, a third figure stood tall and proud, hovering silently in the air. This imposing presence was surrounded by a fleet of uniquely shaped drones, resembling droplets of water encased in metallic capsules adorned with glowing blue and orange gemstones. The figure, towering at over four meters tall, exuded power and mystery. Short, platinum hair shimmered in the moonlight, casting a shadow as if eclipsing the moon itself.
Though appearing human with two arms and two legs, the figure's synthetic skin hinted at something far more complex beneath. Marks on the skin suggested that parts of the body could open at any moment, revealing hidden secrets.
Draped in an elegant, futuristic white lab coat with black accents and gold detailing, the figure's attire fused advanced technology with magical energy. The chest bore a large gemstone of immense power, embedded like a battery within the torso and protected by synthetic skin and a metallic breastplate. Beneath the robe, hundreds of drones awaited orders, their collective magic keeping the figure afloat and connected.
The giant figure looked down at the human, as Chump turned around holding Zippy with one hand and trying to reach his bag, but a laser with obvious trajectory came from one of the wings of the individuals, stopping the trajectory of that hand, but not harming him.
The cold monotonous, robotic voice came back, warning him “Halt, hyuman. I did not arrive here to inflict any injuries on your being, I recommend you to stay put until further notice.”
But neither of them spoke, observing the figure, and the drones, scared, yet they couldn’t move too much as they were still inside of a tower, unlike that figure. They were waiting for something to happen.
The figure continued “I know that you talk our native language, hyuman. I have been observing you for the last two hours, four minutes, and 54 seconds. You maintained a conversation with yourself while installing this audiovisual system as well as when the electro-furball had awoken, surprisingly, having a consciousness as well. You both are two unique specimens among your races.”
“And you are a giant tin can, a machine designed to kill and be monitored rather than to live.” Groaned in anger, holding defensively the bunny in his arm.
“I detect hostility from your tones, hyuman. I do not need you to trust me, thus make sure, that if I wanted you in any shape or form other than alive and conscious, I would have already done it before you ever set foot in that wooden platform your being stands on.” As he slowly descended and stood in front of him.
“Master, should I try to zap the drones out and run for our lives?” Zippy exclaimed, getting ready and charging up, looking with anger
Yet the figure and Chump answered at the same time with the same confident, yet observing tone:
“No.”
Then the human continued, “It will make everything worse. What do you want then? If not here to harm us, or incapacitate us, I do not think you want to kiss me. Yes, I’m using sarcasm and comedy to alleviate my stress levels.”
“I will note that in my catalog for hyumans for the subsequent interactions that I may require in the future. You are observant.” The monotone android expressed, as he kneeled with both legs, while Chump stood up. While not at the same height now head to head, both could talk more comfortably, not one another. “I am here to receive information from you.”
“Me? As in what for? And why should I care? You said yourself, what is stopping you from harming me afterward or…worse.” Chump said as his back relied on one of the stone pillars, looking intensely at the robotic figure, his legs shaking in fear, as he tried to control his heavy, accelerating breathing.
“Information, to be specific.” He turned his head to the monitor, while that impotent feminine figure began to feast on the dinner that both companions made for her besides that battalion. “How you configure your technology, how it works, which pieces does it need… Everything the hyuman technology that we can learn may result useful in the future in any capacity. Thus, my mission is to recollect information. You seem versatile in how this works, from the moment you arrived, you looked determined to piece together all this equipment up to effective functioning.
“But you could harm him and take that information by force…” The bunny commented, feeling the anxiety and fear the human had, due to his internal connection, as the human grabbed the bunny with force, looking at the giant synthetic robot, waiting for those answers.
“Or gather books and digital archives, you skipping details…” Chump began to not feel well, dizzy, and sweats were the first symptoms.
The android nodded in understanding before opening his left hand and showing a magical hologram of human biology. With grotesque modifications and highlighting weak points. “I tortured a hundred forty-six humans, I killed fifty-one of them as well as studied their whole anatomy by pure dissection. In total, I ended the lives and transferred the souls of a hundred ninety-seven human souls. However, we can not understand their many languages, no matter the efforts. It is something that we can not comprehend outside of the Remenant lines that compose our beings. My superior suggested using a less hostile approach the moment I could meet another human alive.”
“That is not helping your case! At all! You are just giving me more reasons to NOT trust you. Wait, their souls? As in that moment…Ugh, can you…I need a moment.” He let go of the bunny, but reacted in time, as he jumped down looking at him with an uneasy face. The human sweat dripped down his face, as half tears, trying to recompose himself of the pressure and the many conjectures and questions he made to himself.
A moment of silence passed, yet no reaction from anyone, until four minutes had passed. Then the android slowly began to charge up his hand, intending to blast away Chump, holding a capsule similar to the one Gunnhildr had that morning.
“You are broken, as many hyumans. Understood. It seems that you are equally deprived of the will to continue living. I seek information that you do seem to have, yet my mere presence is causing you a panic attack. Thus I do not see further interaction with you shall be fruitful.” As his voice slowly aggravated, his core making noises of gathering energy
“Wait wait! He needs just a minute to be himself. Please, trust me!” The bunny held on to the android arm, as this one aimed to the head of the human, looking at the machine who seemingly had eyes of void life in them. “We are connected, our feelings are connected, he needs a moment, he thinks he is going to die and is afraid!” Bunny cried out to the machine.
Both stared at each other, trying to understand each other, before looking at the human who slowly stood up and looked down, to the height of four floors down there but shook his head and looked directly to the killing machine he had on its knees, swallowing every feeling he had and explaining himself between sobs and heavy breathing.
“I am Chump. I am a HUMAN, an engineer, an electrical engineer. I know how the electricity, our systems, and most of the machines work, and whatever I do not know, I know how to gather the information and tools I need to explain it to you.” Before the machine could speak he continued, yelling defiantly against it and pointing a finger to the sky. “I MAY not know everything you need, but I know great chunks of the whole puzzle you are discovering, and it's a metaphor! Meaning that I can give you part of the information you want with details! But my safety around you has not been guaranteed in any moment. You need to assure that I won’t be backstabbed in any sort of way, or blast away, or any form that I will be treason from you if you want to gather the information. Because a moment ago you were about to kill me.” He stood defiantly to the machine, feeling that his chest would explode at any moment.
The android looked at the human, then the bunny, and then his arm. For a moment he looked like he was about to say something, but stood quietly an extra moment. Then he dispersed the magic he had in his arm and reverted all functions to normal, only having a couple of drones hanging around them, recording them with some unknown magic.
“Hyuman….No. Chump. You…are right. My actions have been rushed, and impatient due to my knowledge of hyuman behavior due to records and experience. As stated before, you both are unique in your races and thus, I should have treated you with more patience. I have put my preferences before my mission, and thus, failed the requirements, even if for a moment. Very well.”
The bunny jumped back to Chump, as he held him with both hands, now patting the bunny’s head, subconsciously making him feel better in this whole situation.
“I am Oberon, known more as, the left hand of my mistress, Meisho, headmaster in charge of the technology department in Noylc’s Kingdom. I am not officially here, meaning that I should have been monitoring the transformations of the countries I was assigned, known before as “Morocco” and “Algeria”, in the north of “Africa”. My task will need the next two hundred years. [twenty thousand years in Earth terms.] However, I took a great interest in you while monitoring the individual that you have on your screen right now. I hope this serves as an introduction.” Oberon formally expressed as he bowed down, imitating a salute in the hyuman culture, yet with that robotic unnerving feeling. “But I am afraid that due to your hyuman nature, it is impossible to assure you a way that we can make a contract that will allow both parties to be comfortable with each other terms. Normally, if two individuals or parties desire to do anything together, but are in fear of betrayal due to their unique natures and natural advantages, both can form a contract, a pact where both decide which conditions are acceptable beforehand. But you lack Remenant, therefor, the contract would be null, not matte-“
“Try me!” The human yelled sternly, his eyes wide open, tho his mouth barely moved, his trembles transformed into different feelings. He looked at the android with anxiety. Zippy looked at him, surprised by the reaction but still firmly holding onto him.
Oberon startled a bit with that sudden yell “Excuse me?”
Chump clicked his fingers multiple times, trying to find the words “I-Imagine…Just-t imagine for one moment, that I hav-ve powers okay? Explain to me how to due a contract and let's make a hypothetic contract. Okay, just let’s try that.”
“Mister Chump, I do not think you are comprehending the situation right now, though I appreciated that you tried all options-“
“Just…Look, I will teach you how everything of this drone I used to spy, the screen and the speakers works, on its entirely, for free, if you just try to do a contract with me, even if nothing happens.”
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Oberon looked at the human technology and thought for a moment, then nodded, as his voice took more of an informal tone as well, as a teacher explaining to his student. “Very well, I will play along with you due to the free information, I will see if you hold the value of your word with this “hypothetical” case as well. As you may have noticed, we use different types of power, so everyone can do different things. Due to this, however, many conflicts surged along our history, and thus it was impossible to trust people of another region, no less your neighbors. Unintentionally, a long time ago, many regions were close to destroying the planet with their actions. Distrust was the standard a long time ago. Until the Guardians appeared and ended the dispute. Let’s put a pin on what are the “Guardians” at the moment. They created these contracts, colloquially known as "Promises". A gift from our goddess, a power that everyone could use, regardless of their origin.”
“I-I’m sorry, can I take a pencil and a notebook, not to lower the value of your words, but I have a feeling that this may take a bit longer.”
"It is of no problem, Mister Chump. I do appreciate that you take my explanations seriously, even in this false scenario.” Oberon commented. “As I was saying, It's a power that simply makes both parties put the same amount of conditions and both parties have to follow those instructions. If broken at own will can inflict devastating consequences upon the user's body who broke it, even their death, depending on what they accord. Most of the time these are losing limbs, their senses, part of their powers, or even their free will."
“What if a party plays around the terms, or tries to trick the other one into failing its part of the contract?” The human asked, a bit concerned, tho to be fair, his anxiety about staying alive that very night didn’t make him feel that worried about this “Promise” power.
The android clarified “The spirit of the contract is what is the most valid of the situation. The guardians are connected to all parties involved in this power, and if it finds out that one of the parties is invalidating the nature of these, it can act upon their will and decide the most fitting punishment.”
“Based…alright. How are these conditions formed?”
“In this case we can start with me establishing one condition, afterwards you can say one or two conditions. One if you think it's fair and end it there or two if you want to continue the contract and add more stipulations. You can add the second condition, but that allows me the possibility of adding one to equally state the contract or two if I want to continue the contract. It will be like that until both parties agree that has been enough established."
"Okay okay, it is fair instead of forcing a party to force under the same bullshit okay okay…” Chump commented taking notes, while Zippy interrupted. “What if I do consider a condition to be unfair to our conditions? Or not the same…valué? Is that how it says?"
“Value.” Both corrected before Oberon continued, enjoying a bit the conversation. “Usually, the Guardian can change the conditions accordingly. No contract, deal, or promise shall be unfair under their light."
“Alright, we shall start then! The contract can be in any paper or parchment or whatever, right?” Oberon affirmed with a simple nod, a bit hesitant of the situation, but mostly curious of where this was going. After a long discussion, while the squadron began to take the last plate and talk after dinner, Chump with Zippy finished the next conditions with Oberon:
Chump and Zippy conditions:
- "You shall teach us all the information you know related to your culture, including the magic powers, aka the Remenant, the kingdoms; or whatever type of society you hold, and your people too. No lies or hidden information."
- "You shall not say in any circumstance say of our whereabouts or stop our journey for as long as we need to fully exchange and fulfill this contract, plus a few extra days to be ready for the departure. This shall include freedom of movement and rights, as well as not harming us in any way unless deemed necessary to our safety."
- “You must help Zippy to reach a further potential that he can acquire as long as he is okay with the methods.”
Oberon conditions:
- "You shall teach me the wonders, uses, interpretations, and all information regarding technology, the uses, and the views of your culture related to these advancements. No lies or hidden information."
- "You shall not ask anything related to the powers, skills, or personal information of myself, nor the people I know and relate to. Neither collects this information from me in any way or by any means."
- "This second condition can be broken if we both decide to give personal information of each other if we agree too. We shall specify the time limit for this allowance for every time we allow this."
The contract had these conditions, Chump and Zippy put their names in their contract while Oberon put something in his language that Chump couldn’t comprehend entirely, but understood that it had “Oberon” in the middle of it. After Chump wrote down the contract, and Oberon took a copy of it, holding it hand, the android commented “And now that is finished, in this case, if you controlled Remenant, a Guardian should appear and-“
But as it’s being a tradition in this novel, interruptions meant changes to the usual scripts. From the surface of the mystical metallic humanoid, a luminous blue line began to take shape, tracing a disarrayed pattern across its form. The radiant glow originated most prominently from the center of its upper chest, casting an intriguing aura. As Chump extended his hand towards it, looking with those eyes that transformed to see the aura, a sensation of profound longing washed over him, as if an unseen presence yearned to enter, to intertwine its essence with his own. The contract, the Promise began to glow. Oberon's magic connected directly to Chump’s chest and Zippy being in general, due to the uncertainty if it was its head, its chest, or anywhere else.
The touch of the radiant line sent a tingling sensation down Chump's spine, unnerving him. It seemed as though the pulsating light line beckoned him into uncharted train thoughts, a gateway between different minds, different from what he felt with Zippy. With the bunny, it felt like brotherhood, with Oberon, it felt like hunter and victim. Curiosity and fear mingled with trepidation as his hand hovered along the copy of the contract, hesitating yet drawn by an inexplicable force that sought to bridge the gap between their existences. The words of the contract glowed with a bright light as both hands who wrote their names.
For Oberon, a thunder mark on the back of his left hand.
For Chump and Zippy, a circle was in his right-hand palm and paw respectively.
After everything finished, Chump excitedly jumped around and even high-fived Zippy who felt the same astonishment and confusion as Oberon “JUST! FUCKING! GREAT! I did it! Eat that tin can! What do you think of that?!~ Hmmmm.~” Expressed with the biggest smug he did in his whole life.
Oberon looked at the palm of his left hand, confused about the whole procedure, as he saw what he considered a biological midget outsmart him, his expression and tones getting for the first time something different that monotonous cold, a mix of anger and admiration while looking at the young man. His voice startled, trying to break the copy of the contract, yet unable off. “B-But…you are a hyuman, you can not-t use Remenant…How did you-“
“How did you even know that would work, Master?” Zippy said, slowly acquiring the excitement that Chump did, as the human punched the air in celebration, imitating a winner of any sports game.
“I didn’t know! I didn’t know if that would work! But it did! That was the biggest gambit I did in the whole year! But it worked! And for your information, Mecha Oberon, I CAN use Remenant. This is just so great!
Oberon’s tone changed, as his synthetic skin left open his eyes showing his real emotion in this whole interexchange, as the anger left for surprise and began to put his full attention and focus on the human. “Did you just say…You…Can you use Remenant? The goddess essence?…A hyuman?!” His being broken for a moment, trying to comprehend what just happened.
“Yes, sir!~ A power I acquired this very morning! And you just ate a “simulation” of this contract and boom! Now we are business pals! So, let’s start this conversation once again, what do you say?” He offered a hand for a handshake, still trembling from the emotion and fear of being in the presence of such a being.
But Oberon left hanging the human as he asked sternly, “How did you manage to surpass the condition of the need of a Guardian to form a full contract?!”
“Oh, but that’s not inside of our contract, ain’t it? Our contract strictly stipulates that you must teach me about Remenant, your world, and tons of your details, my part of the contract is that I shall teach you everything about how our technology works, and I know I will keep my word! I wouldn’t mind a couple of extra hands while working on stuff if you are considering practicing~.” He added with the widest grin he had that night. In a fit of rage and impatience, Oberon raised a hand, instantly aiming for the human little head, barely having time to react. Zippy reacted faster, as he gasped in surprise, fearing for his master. But then, the mark on his left hand completely paralyzed the hand until Oberon didn’t have more intentions to harm the human. Chump trembled, sweating as he saw the pose the android took, his voice and hand shaking coldly as he continued “I-It’s sure is hand-dy this contract, eh? Now-w I feel safer around y-ya, and you can get-t the information you want, eh?” He commented shaking
It took several minutes to get everything to normality, as Oberon calmed down enough to keep a normal conversation with the human, in a mix of admiration of frustration of the wits of that little being compared to him. Chump quickly explained how a drone worked and how he could get the information, as he didn’t mind explaining something they could perfectly see on the battlefield that had the Middle East now. It passed so much time, [22:23] yet just enough for the giant woman on the screen to have finished her dinner and began to gather her soldiers around her table, just in the perfect position so the drone could record everything.
“Who is she?” Zippy asked with curiosity, as the screen now floated thanks to a couple of Oberon’s drones, but now the three of them could perfectly visualize what was going on.
“She is Masha Al’umi Alsaakhina.” Oberon explained “Or for shorts, Masha. She is the seventh daughter of the Emperor, known too as the Princess of Fire and Ice. Right now, we are in her future territory, as she is to heritage every single piece of land of the city and surroundings.” Oberon added casually as he took notes
Chump needed a couple of minutes to regain his senses, shaking his head as he took out his notebook again. “Is…Is the Emperor the one attacking my world? Did he set up the barrier?”
“No.” Oberon warned “The Maelstromic Empire is one of the seven kingdoms that started the conquest of your world. Six in favor, one against it. My kingdom, the Noylc’s kingdom, voted against this procedure. But due to the majority, we are forced to help anyway. All territory had been already distributed before the conquest began, between the seven places. I ignored how each of them what will do to each place. We spent the last ten years preparing for this event. Or in this planet's case-”
“The last thousand years in Earth terms…” Chump added, beginning to comprehend the full scale of this conflict alone. “I don’t understand, why not sooner? It’s clear we are giving you trouble now with the current technology, and thousands of Earth years ago we were barely a fraction of what we are currently are.”
“Before answering you, hyuman, I am equally surprised that you know how both worlds' times work. I will note that. But yes, it would have been easier to conquer your world back then, but we just finished a world war those ten years ago ourselves…and we didn’t know you would advance so much…in so little time. We saw through our magic the last war that involved the whole world…and what happened to both cities in that long curve island back in the continent of the east…We had to hurry our efforts.”
“Then the barrier?” Zippy asked confused.
“Our pleads to our goddess gave us the sacred stones that are involved in the maintenance of the Goddess Barrier. At first, it was her doing to help us, but once we were established, we began to sustain the barrier ourselves…Those stones make it easier to transform the ground, changing the Earth to our convenience.”
“Shouldn’t this information be more…secret?” Chump added, surprised by Oberon spilling the whole beans so easily.
“This was public information a year ago already.” [Hundred years ago more or less for Earth] “Anything sacred is heavily persecuted by everyone, and sometimes, even the Guardians themselves. You are considered a dead man walking if you disrespectfully disobey the Goddess's orders or authority.”
“Dayum….That sounds harsh…” Chump added as a chalkboard was presented in the video feedback direct, as Chump mumbled “What are the Guar-“ But stopped, as his breath stopped when Masha spoke up.
“Everyone! Attention!” Masha ordered with authority, the ground trembling around here as she slapped the chalkboard with a made-up illustration. “These will be the plans for the next two weeks! We will capture this hyuman in the many reports we have about him! We will capture: The Ghost of Valentia!”
image [https://i.imgur.com/5Fd4qDj.png]