"Long time no see, old friend Gilbert. Look at how puny you've become in contrast to where I am now."

"I no longer have anything to do with you. Begone!"

Gilbert draws out a high-tech rifle coated in all black with its inside dark yellow. Just as he about to shoot at the man, something hit him from behind. It's a hover scooter. Witnesses are surprised to see that an object to activate on its own and hit someone. This is just one of the weird things people heard from the rumors about a man leading a horde of scavengers being able technical objects to harm their owners. He was often referred to as...

"Technomanic! That's the name of the demon ruining your lives at this very moment. Remember to curse my name in the afterlife, for I look forward to see you suffer even after dead."

"*Cough* Do you really think- *cough* that I would just stand down like this?"

"I'm far different from before, old timer. I evolved and you DIDN'T. You should die along with those peasants, there's nothing you can do."

Gilbert knows too well in his mind that this is clearly an one-sided battle with the armed goons and electronics going berserk. Even so, standing down would mean letting others suffer. The only thing he can do now is too think up something. Then he has an idea but i'd require the help of his granddaughter. Not wanting to put her at risk, he ends up contemplating.

"I'll take that silence as an acceptance of your doom. You guys can kill him now."

At that moment, Gilbert hears a voice in his mind urging him to shoot as the iron stairs. He realizes that could create an opportunity so he quickly shot one of the pillars that hold the stairs together. This causes the stairs to collapse and the scavengers runs in panic, Gilbert tells the townsfolks to run and he runs as well. Chella and Nova decide to join the battle but the hoverbike stops and flies straight to the ground. They have to jump off and land on the ground nearby.

The goons spread out to hunt down their captives. Knowing that the enemies will use them to threaten anyone who resists, Chella suggests to Nova that she will help everyone hide in a safe place.

"Bit, how much range do you have for detecting vital signals?"

"About 5 meter, are you planning to sneak past?"

"I can read minds, so I'll know where they're heading."

"For real?"

Nova is surprised that her new friend claims to be able to read minds. Suddenly Chella pushes her behind a door and hides. As if on cue, there's a guy holding a plasma gun approaching from the left street. He thought he saw the shadows of 2 people but it looks like he was mistaken. The guy signs and walks away. Nova feels like she's saved in a nick of time.

"You really can read minds huh."

"Yeah, I'm somewhat of a special person."

"We should put our attention into evacuating people like you just said."

"Right."

Talking like a smart person as Bit just did, Chella use her ability to sneak past the goons and guide people into an old store house far east of town. Some of them ask her to take their children out before proceeding. Eventually she leads everyone out of watch successfully.

"Useless! What do you mean you couldn't find anyone?"

"Chief, I know what I said. It was like they knew our routes and evaded with ease."

"At least it sounds better than saying they all disappeared."

"Who the hell asked, you moron!?"

"I-I am sorry, chief..."

Technomanic is frustrated that a bunch of lowly bottom-dwellers could get away that easily. He was expecting this to be another successful hunt. Any resistance is unacceptable. Little does he know, he's not the only one beyond ordinary. While he's occupied in his own frustration, Chella along with Nova and her grandfather are preparing to strike back.

Gilbert will take down the men one by one with the help of Chella whereas Nova and Bit will take back the giant drilling vehicle. With such strategy in mind, they part ways. Gilbert finds 2 men meters ahead. Chella warns him that they're going in opposite directions so he should hide in a garage and shoot the nearest one. He hides behind a box and waits for a goon walking pass by then shoots in the back.

"Aghhhh!"

"Good aim there, gramps."

"All thanks to the special lens I equipped. Your ability would be useful for scouting to be honest."

Meanwhile, Nova is running towards where the Driller is at but Techomanic notices her and controls the mobile electronics to chase after her. First, her path is obstructed by a truck then a bunch of cleaning automatons chase after her.

"Too bad that technology isn't on your side. The likes of you are underseving of advancement."

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Hah! I'll show you who's the inferior very soon."

With Chella's watch given to her, Nova will help Bit jack in the control board via direct connection. She'll make Technomanic pay for what he did to her grandfather. However, he notices her intention as he takes out a small remote and presses a red button.

"This isn't all I bring along with on this hunt. See how you will survive what's next."

At his words, a bunch of androids coming out from the huge crack and they mercilessly begin shooting. Nova has to hide due to not being able to pass through the rain of gunshots. The androids seem act on his mere thoughts as orders. Fate can sometimes be so cruel.

Chella and Gilbert come to her aid and distract the androids. Technomanic also shifts his attention on them, leaving an opportunity for Nova to proceed. Now she's only meters away from the vehicle. With the target in reach, she runs forward and climbs on the door, entering inside it. Nova takes off the watch and puts it on a slot, allowing Bit to initiate direct access.

"This might take a while. Nova, please cover me up."

"Will do, Chella's friend is also my friend after all."

Nova gets out of the Driller only to find out Chella and Gilbert being held as hostages. Above them is Technomanic standing on a floating plate. The androids managed to capture them with all the guns pointed at them. The captor laughs maniacally as of now he has the upper hand.

"I should congratulate you for struggling this far, but a hunt is a hunt and all things come to an end."

"I won't let you-"

"What could you do? I have them as my hostages and soon it will be the entire town. That huge pile of metal over there won't be recovered that easily. The viruses I remotely injected with my mind have their own defense mode. That outdated A.I you have is definitely struggling as of this very moment."

"So that was how you were able to..."

"Correct, little lemon. I am not a normie like you or everyone living in this place are. I am SUPERIOR to this old timer right here. He thwarted my plan once but now no one will ever get in my way again."

The captor's taunting irritates Nova a lot but she just can't go off against someone who control droids on a whim. The infamous Technomanic is known for using what people rely on the most which is technology against them. Even if the town doesn't have any weaponry. The bastard always brings his toys along. With such ability in his disposal, he claims to be above mankind. He now wears a sickening smile on his face after overwhelming his victims with despair.

Nova has only been living her life as a learning mechanic for all the years of her life. It was Gilbert who taught her about engineering due to being a former scientist with similar field. As a way of reminding herself to stay strong, she made up the name Nova. Most of the time Gilbert would use her real name which made her uncomfortable but after knowing that he always saw her as a little girl no matter how much she would grew and change, she eventually shrugged it off with a hidden contentment on her face.

Now, that little girl is 18. She has to witness her life being ruined by the hands of a freak. It is ironic that on the same day, she found a friend. Chella - a friend she made not too long ago is now injured. Both her and Gilbert are bleeding from shot wounds. Bit, meanwhile, is struggling with a horde of computer viruses in the cyberspace. It is a disadvantage for the A.I. Noelle Hawkins screams in her mind if there is anything that could get her and her cherished ones out of this situation.

[Don't worry...]

"!"

Nova hears a voice in her mind, a voice so familiar that it passes through the walls of internal struggles and reaches her very consciousness.

[Chella...]

[We'll make it through so don't collapse on you own. I also see you as someone important as well, I swear by my honor as a comic enthusiast that I won't let your grandfather die.]

[Ahaha! My mind feels so lively right now.]

A strange sensation strikes her as she gets comforted by someone aside from her grandfather for the very first time. Nova feels like she could cry right at the moment. Feeling the warmth of her friend's word, she utters some words.

"Thank you, Chell-"

However, there is indeed a strange sensation. Something's being injected into her right arm. She falls backwards before even finishing her sentence. A shocking sight unfolds, it was Gilbert that shot her with a gun hidden in his sleeves. Chella's mind is trying to gasp what she just saw. It just doesn't make sense for her.

"Nova!!!"