Synthetic Survivor: Machine Age

[Warning: Proximity Alert]

One woke from his unexpected slumber. He had fallen asleep, with the child still snoozing on his t.h.i.g.h. The voice in his head was the voice of the security system he activated prior. Something or someone was lingering among the dead bushes and the dead trees, the oozing fields and the darkness of the night.

One stood up and readied himself for combat. Scanning his surroundings, he found what caused the proximity alert, a humanoid, hiding behind the dead trees behind them. He stared at its position, making sure his gaze never left it. One was also checking for other instances if this was a planned ambush.

He had made a lot of enemies, these enemies did not know who he was or where he came from, but they knew that he is one of them. One of the new beings, a race of metal men that have overrun the Freetan Theocracy and are threatening the rest of the peninsula.

"Ah, you noticed me?" A voice rang out.

One did not reply, he just stood and watched as the figure revealed himself, stepping out of the shadows of the forest. It was a hooded figure, a pale chin was visible but the rest of his face was not. It appeared old and wrinkled, judging by the exposed hands.

The figure clasped its hands and continued its approach before stopping a few meters in front of One.

One's eyes glowed in the darkness, the moon had disappeared from sight and the sky was void of stars. He knew something was not right, but whatever it was, it involved magic, one way or another.

"Allow me to introduce myself to you, my future apprentice." Its voice sounded old.

One, although he was held aback by the unknown advantage of this fellow, could not feel but be amused. The clown was about to give him its name, regardless if it's true or not, he can use it to track it down if it ever escaped.

"I am Goln, and you will henceforth call me, master" he said.

Gold laughed like a maniac, exposing his arms and summoning magic circles on top of his fingertips. After he chanted a few words that sounded completely gibberish to One, two shadow figures appeared behind him. They manifested like a gas that came together and wielded two swords that glowed with fire oozed lava.

"Come now, my apprentice, or else, that child, will perish"

And One was done. He lifted his arms sideways and out came his a bright saber on both. He clutched the foundations of the sabers tight as they glowed in the night a shining white. He was not going to tolerate Goln any longer, seeing that he won't even gain much from keeping him prisoner, he began to plan his first attack.

"You fool, you think you have a chance? I have watched your kind from a distance, studied you all and know how you fight! Your magic is strange but my magic is stronger!" Gesturing to his shadows, he said, "Capture him!"

The shadows then sprang into action and floated towards One.

One assumed a defensive pose and tracked their movements. The shadows had deformed bodies but had two limbs that bore their swords, he did not understand the properties of these figures and figured that his plasma blades may do.  

The two shadows came at him from left to right and at the same speed. They held their swords high and were about to strike him down. One had no intention of prolonging the fight, if Goln was true to his word then he'll be able to deduce the moves of his drones, but he was not his drones, he was One.

The shadows were now within reach of him and so, in a flash, One moved at speeds almost impossible to catch with the n.a.k.e.d eye, and sliced through both of the shadows. Their forms began to disintegrate as soon as One had already sliced them, they wailed with the voice of a beast and then disappeared. Goln watched with a smile on his face.

As he laughed, "You have done well, even going as far as defeating two of my most deadly summons, those weapons of yours.. they glow with power! And I shall soon have them and you!"

As he finished, he summoned another magic circle, this time on the ground. It glowed blue and after a few seconds, its purpose was revealed. The girl was transferred to where the circle was.

Teleportation! One thought in his mind.

Two more shadow figures appeared behind him and took the girl by their hands. They held their flaming swords against her neck and forehead. Goln then walked forward, to see what One would do and talk him into joining him.

This recruitment process, however, did not fancy One.

He retracted his sabers and hid them away. He did this as Goln looked delighted.

One knew that he was naive, even for his power or age. Judging by how he treated One, he was confident with his pawns to deal with him. The shadows that were holding the girl hostage now were visibly different than the previous ones. They were bulkier in appearance and their swords glowed brighter and were wider. Symbols that were present on the iron of the swords glowed too, with his knowledge of magic, he deduced them to be magic inscriptions.

One did not know the speed of which his enemies possessed, he wanted to save the girl and eliminate Goln at the same time. But, he switched his plans a bit. He won't kill Goln outright, no, he is going to torture him first and take p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e from it. The naive summoner has gotten to the nerves of One and he was ready to make him pay.

A few seconds of staring ensued, with Goln continuing his taunts. Goln was not willing to kill the girl outright, or else he'll have no bargaining chip. When he first sought to capture one of the metal men, he did not expect to come by an one that was all alone among the deadlands. Though he himself did not know why the deadlands came to be a few days prior, he assumed that the metal men were one of the reasons.

Ever since the metal men came into this world, only death and destruction ensued wherever they may be and to the lands that they have plundered and conquered with relentless force. Against the wishes of his former master, whom he had killed, he ventured forth to observe and study these metal men, they were stronger than the beastmen and looked far smarter than men themselves.

Now, he was facing against a metal man. But, he did not know, that the metal man he was facing, was the most powerful of all metal men. After this metal man slew his shadows with ease, he felt fear shrivel from his feet and into his heart. What has he done?

The fight was not over yet, he cried out in his mind. He had a hostage, and as long as he had a hostage, he would have a chance. He can't vanquish this metal man, his second most powerful shadow summons was destroyed by him! Now he has summoned his strongest shadows and summons a hundred enchanted skeletons around him.

He used up a considerable amount of his inner magic. He hoped that his gamble will pay off.

One already knew that there were skeletons surrounding him equipped with glowing weapons, primitive but had power nonetheless. The moment Goln summoned them, his proximity alerts skyrocketed as the skeletons crawled out from the ground.

They formed a circle around him, raising their shields and their weapons. Their weapons varied and so did the glow of these weapons and One assumed that the various glow represented the power of these weapons. By examining Goln, he was able to conclude that the dark purple glowing weapons were the most formidable and presented the most threat to him while the lighter and more visible shades of purple were weaker and posed a lower level of threat.

The skeletons began to bash on their shields. The bashed as loud as they could, joining in the taunts of Goln.

"You see this power? How can you possibly go up against my finest summons? I have slain countless foolish heroes, I have slew even the dragons who were descendants of legends! It is not too late to back down now, my apprentice" He tried hard to put up a facade of nonchalance.

One saw through his facade. He saw the fear in him once he gulped. He was not confident against One and has shown his trump cards. He, on the other hand, was not going to use any of his trump cards. He did not need any, instead, he was going to incapacitate Goln.

"Now? What do you say?" Goln extended his hand, it shivered with much violence.

One stared at him and after raising his chin, he said.

"No,"

A sonic boom then occurred, sending Goln and his pawns backward against the sheer ferocity of the shock wave. Before Goln could even realize what was going on, One was already within arm's reach. He shriveled with fear at the sight of those blue eyes that were focused entirely on him. One, upon reaching the summoner, smashed his body against the ground just enough to knock him out cold.

The two shadows were pushed aback and dropped the little girl who was now lying on the floor. She was alive but suffered some bruises. One took advantage of the confusion and took out his sabers. He dashed towards the shadows and sliced them in half, as he did to the previous shadows. The shadows wailed with a voice so distorted and disintegrated.

The skeletons were just getting up when One began his summary execution of all of them. One by one, he hacked and slashed through their shields and their swords. He crushed their bones, tore them and broke them. There was no escaping him.

While the skeletons did not have the means to scream for help or beg for mercy, they displayed those words through their actions. They raised their hands and even lowered their weapons once they saw how futile it was.

It was also futile to beg for the slightest ounce of mercy, as One gave them none of it.

The scattered remains of the skeletons littered the dead grass around them. Their enchanted weapons lied there, oozing with power but that power was not needed by One. He walked towards Goln, he was just about to stand up.

He kicked him.

Goln wailed.

He kicked him once more, but harder.

Goln could not breathe as One hit him on the stomach.

One kicked him again and again. Until finally, he drew out his saber. No, he was not going to kill him, One wanted to enjoy the moment. He was being bullied, thinking that they could best him, but sad to say, that was not the case.

As he held his sabers, Goln begged for mercy.

"No! Please! I beg yo-" One cut off his right hand as it was raised towards him. The man screamed, his voice echoing into the night. Nobody was going to save him, not his summons, not even his master. He shoved others away thinking he could do everything on his own, now it has come to ahead.

"NO!" he begged and begged but One cut off his right foot anyway. He wailed again and One cut off his left hand and then cut off his left leg.

The man no longer had his arms or legs.

He gave out one final cry, one final plea for mercy.

"I'll give you anything! Everything! Please!"

One raised his two sabers above his c.h.e.s.t and stared at him.

"No" He said.

He stabbed him through the c.h.e.s.t with his two sabers. He did not stop there, while the sabers were deep inside the c.h.e.s.t of Goln, he moved them and sliced his c.h.e.s.t into a box. Goln died in an instant, his dreams of capturing a metal man, died with him.

One withdrew his sabers and paid Goln no more attention. He walked towards the little girl who was still down on the ground. She had woken up and was crying.

One knelt down and looked at her, she was afraid but she did not panic. She did not move althoughshe was struck with immense fear.

"hm"

And then, One patted her head.