—--------

  The next morning

  —---------------------

  “Focus, Erec.” Desmond reproached.

  “You must feel your entire body at once, then imbue it with the specific electrical charge and keep it at that specific charge indefinitely.” He reminded me for the umpteenth time.

  As I sat there, focusing so hard some would think I was constipated, I felt my entire body.

  Desmond appeared just after breakfast at our suite and asked me to accompany him to one of the many training grounds.

  He had then told me to complete this specific action of shocking myself at a specific charge to promote healing and pain management that would allow me to self-heal passively if I succeeded.

  I had been at this for a few hours at this point.

  “Almost there, Erec, you are so close to moving onto the next step, just a little less power and more control.” He said as he looked at me while holding out his massive book and stared at a cog that had a magical connection to multiple other cogs placed onto my body with my magical will.

  I focused even harder. Suddenly, I felt very good. A feeling of tingling and comfort passed through my body.

  “Yes!” Desmond celebrated, “now, try to get up while holding that general feeling throughout your entire body.”

  Holding my concentration, I got up without opening my eyes. Nothing went wrong.

  “Here, take this sword.” Desmond said excitedly as he held out a human length claymore. I took it with my will and held it in my hands.

  Feeling an instinctual comfort as I held it in a ready stance I waited expectantly for Desmond to give another order.

  “Good, now try to go through some sword forms while keeping the shock wave form active.” He said. I eagerly started.

  Without opening my eyes, I went through the house Steelbloods' training routine.

  It felt amazing.

  It was as though every movement was aided by a charge of electricity that reinforced and rejuvenated muscle fibers and ligaments, specifically the fascia.

  I felt as though I could do this as long as I had magical energy in my system.

  “Okay, now open your eyes and do all that over again the same way.” Desmond said eagerly.

  The training room entered my awareness as I slashed and thrusted the claymore through empty air.

  The image of my old trainer in my mind’s eye, barely able to keep up with me now that I had such an advantage over her.

  “Good!” He complemented, “try to slip into the power, very weak, try to be less than ten percent dilated.” He guided me.

  I forced my power under my will as I guided myself into a super weakened form of slowed time. To me, nothing really changed outwardly, but to the trainer I had killed dozens of times just now, I was immortal.

  Right thrust to the neck: dead.

  Upward slash through the left arm into lungs: dead.

  Parry to repost into a stab to the armpit, then a quick snaking upwards cut through the shoulder: dead.

  I went through these killing blows as the trainer I had been violated and abused by for my entire life remade and died over again in quick succession.

  I may have felt guilty if this wasn't a training session to help me in battles in the future.

  Desmond’s voice sounded slow and slightly dumb at the speed I was going, but I listened anyway.

  “Great, now let's get some water and wait for time to catch up to you, we need to test how quickly you can rejuvenate yourself.” He said.

  I placed the cherished weapon on the rack at that far end of the wall where the entrance was and followed Desmond out of the training room.

  As we walked, he talked with excitement, “I must say, your focus, will, multitasking and instincts are preternatural.” He complimented.

  As we turned the corner, we had two cups of metal with water in them waiting for us. One went to Desmond's hand and the other fell into mine. We kept waking as I waited for time to catch up to me.

  “Shouldn't be much longer from now, all I can do is guess, but by my estimations, you should start feeling it from now to the next thirty seconds.” Desmond advised with an exuberant tone.

  As I took five more sips of the cool water, I felt my entire body start to cramp as though I just tried to do a steel-burpee. An exercise where you do a burpee while encased by more metal than your will can fully handle, making the metal harder and sluggish. Like moving around with a heavy blanket forcefully coating your entire body.

  I then immediately started to feel better. I only paused for about ten seconds, but started another sip from my water as though nothing happened.

  Desmond turned to me and grinned, “that's what I'm talking about!” He then walked closer and patted me on the left shoulder, “you won't have to be disabled permanently during battle just because you decided dilation was the only way forward.”

  “Remember that feeling and draw upon it whenever you are feeling like you are tiring or injured.” He suggested.

  He then stepped back and widened his arms, “you are free to do what you will until the supervised study in the library after lunch, that gives you a few hours.” He then turned around and left further down the hallway.

  I thought to myself, wondering what would be most useful to spend my time on for the next few hours.

  ‘I miss being able to regularly go through sword forms on opponents, I felt myself a tad rusty back there’ I thought to myself, my mind made up. I then returned to the training room. My sword forms flared, fighting anything I was versed well enough in doing so.

  Which was a lot of things.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  A horde of goblins? Mince meat.

  Orcs? Tough, but piles of severed meat.

  Orb weavers? Disgusting smears of green paste on the floor.

  I killed already defeated enemies that I remembered being forced to fight for training purposes.

  These were nothing compared to my current goal.

  Agent Seer.

  I never fought him. The only reference I had of him was that one time he slashed a branching path of a foolish version of me. Back on that tarmac that probably didn't exist anymore.

  A fight between mother and whatever she fought and killed would be catastrophic to anything unfortunate enough to be in a multiple kilometer radius of the fight.

  I tried to work out how to defeat the mobile cog endowed Agent Seer if he was visible and sense-able. So far, I could think of nothing that would work unless I got more powerful.

  I died tens of times trying different things as I thought through different scenarios.

  Sometimes I would last just a few nano-seconds longer than before, only to be severed in two by the knightly arming sword.

  “I need more power.” I surmised out loud.

  Then my memory went back to when mother had told me something important back in her logic-defying mobile cog.

  ‘You must find your own power, you must choose.’ Or something along those lines.

  What could she mean? If I were to risk a guess, she wants me to gain an ability outside of my cogs.

  That would be heretical, massively so.

  I was taught with techniques far past brainwashing that looking for anything outside of cog power or the empire's martial arts was punishable by death.

  It was engrained into my very being that such a thought process was guilty of being a heretic in of itself.

  In all honesty though? I couldn't give a damn.

  I had learned quickly that life isn't fair and any leg up you can get, you should. Fights aren't honorable. Death is the end. Whether I ended up in the masterwork or somewhere worse after that was for a failed, future me.

  My power existed to protect myself and those I love and to kill if need be.

  If I could gain another power on top of that, and it saved me or someone I wanted to save in the future? All the better.

  So I went through every sword form I could at dilated time, only pausing to re-heal every so often, just so that the injuries didn't mount too high.

  During all that, I searched my memory and instincts for anything that called out to me.

  During that time, my consciousness was so heavily focused inwards, that I didn't notice a pair of eyes watching me from the entrance.

  —--------------

  ~two and a half hours later

  —----------------------------------

  I lost myself of the power and focus I had been maintaining on and off for hours.

  I started to feel my focus wane and lose its edge.

  My body still felt in pristine condition, but my mind felt like it could do with a rest.

  I looked down at my sweaty arms and torso, still bare since the magical cogs needed to be there to measure many things going on with my body.

  As my consciousness returned outwards, I felt an instinctual hair bristle on the back of my head.

  I turned around quickly only to see a scrawny but focused woman with goggles covering her eyes. A beige overcoat covered her body from neck to shins. Pockets large and small covered her clearly customized coat. Her long but clearly unkempt dirty blond hair fell around her shoulders. The academy colors were on her right side chest. A notebook in her left, slim hand with a plain quill in her right. A pocket lower on the overcoat belied an ink flask as there was ink dried off the side of the fabric.

  ‘A academy staff?’ I wondered.

  I then lowered my claymore, still in my hands to my side, blade pointed to the ground, hilt upwards pointed towards the woman and asked, “do you have business with me?”

  She startled, half jumping, half flinching and shook her head. “No, worthy sir, I do not, I only heard you here and got interested as to who would be here at this hour.” She had no noble crest, but had the poise of someone important enough to hold some leeway.

  I felt no deception, so I continued, “I am Sir Erec Dohiedron, to whom am I speaking to?”

  “Ah, my apologies, I am Mery, no surname, I am an artificer in line to become a mobile cog engineer at the behest of the Headmaster of this academy.” She announced, analyzing me with interest, as though she was coming up with schematics for me on the spot.

  A grin appeared on my face, “ah, I was thinking of bothering one of your ilk for a few concerns and upgrades I need.” The claymore floated over to the weapon rack, placing down with little sound as I brought over my shirt and took off the many miniature copper cogs attached to my body.

  My manipulation of metal caught her attention further, a professional look on her hard-to-read face appeared, further interested. “May I ask what your attunement is, Sir Erec?”

  Seeing no reason to hide the truth from the woman who may yet outfit me with many useful tools and weapons, I obliged. “I am of the fifth cog that are attuned to metal and electric, I am also near masters in swordsmanship and adept in many other weapons.”

  Proclaiming such a thing at a young age would usually elicit two such responses from a person.

  Disbelief or amazement.

  She didn’t show either, but a creepy, eccentric grin crept across her face.

  “You, Sir, could be my ticket out of this position and into the highest rank of cog engineering there could be.” Mary outwardly confessed, her still slightly insane grin holding.

  “How about an agreement?” I proposed, moving closer, shocking my sweat off my body and putting on my academy dress shirt.

  “You use me as your masters, I use you as my personal artificer for my time at the academy.” I held out my right hand in a hand-shake for her to take. Something about her told me this wouldn’t be a losing agreement for either side.

  Her grin disappeared and a calculatory fidgeting commenced as she flipped the quill in her hand as though that would make her decision the right one.

  Her grin turned predatory, she then stowed her notebook and quill in other pockets and took my burly right hand with her small but calloused right hand. We then shook.

  I let go first, not wanting to hurt her since she seemed fairly weak, “good to work with you.” I admitted and then asked, “three hours after lunch, I am free, where can I find you?”

  “The out-building next to the main library, you won't miss it since there is a magi-crete wall covering it from all sides and an absolute load of materials outside of the building.” She admitted, her interest already looking past me as she started to turn around. “See you then, Sir Erec.” She then left without even really looking down as she retrieved her notebook and quill, frantically writing ideas down.

  I let out a chuckle and shook my head, wondering where Desmond found such an insane but talented lady. Everything about her told me that she was a top-tier artificer in the making. There was one man who likely worked his way through the same issues Mary currently had. He was the top cog engineer with a masters in cog engineering from the imperial academy. As I recalled, he probably still worked at the Steelblood estate, if he and everyone else survived the confrontation between mother and the enemy. My brain was wandering because my focus and will were taxed near the utmost limits. I went back to a nearly normal time in my childhood as the man used to tell me all about mobile cogs. I never got his name, only that he was a patient and grizzled man who loved his work and enjoyed talking about it. It didn’t last long as I had been quickly whisked away from that environment as I started to fully awaken my first cog.

  I shook my head as I realized I likely had just stood there for ten minutes, staring into nothingness as I was caught by a wave of nostalgia.

  I needed food, drink and rest before my supervised study or I may appear to be a dullard.

  I quickly started to run over to the nearby main canteen which was well positioned in the middle of the academy grounds.

  —------------

  Ten minutes later

  —--------------------

  As I arrived at the canteen, I saw a decent amount of people of all walks of life in different groups.

  Even a number of the group of people who I nearly slaughtered yesterday in an illogical but previously thought necessary act. They noticed me and quickly went back to hushed talking and quickened their eating pace.

  ‘I need to control my emotions better.’ I hinted to myself. The attunement mutation I underwent drastically changed my range and ease of emotions. Among other things. Electricity was indeed a volatile but versatile element. Which reflected in my newer thought processes and emotional responses.

  I walked over to them, much to their terror.

  “How goes lunch?” I asked in a conversational manner to the table of people.

  The woman who had earlier had the bravery to beg for mercy spoke up first. Likely the leader.

  “As good as always, Your Eminence.” She returned. She then stood up and performed a salute, the entire table following along. “For the imperial will, what can we loyal servants of this eternal empire do for you today?” She announced, showing her loyalty to the empire and her servitude to I, likely scared beyond taking chances.

  “For the imperial will!” All the other people from the same table echoed.

  “For the eternal service, at ease, I merely came by to get lunch but noticed your group and wanted to make an announcement.” I then looked everyone in the eye, their eyes looking down the second my eyes made contact with theirs. “The confrontation that happened yesterday is to be put to the past, but not forgotten, I expect anyone to know what would happen if I heard gossip going against my fiancee.” I then looked back to the perceived leader, “Are we understood?”

  “Yes, Your Eminence.” She obediently obliged.

  “Dismissed, enjoy your lunch.” I said, turning to the canteen.

  I walked over, ignoring the evidently confused wills that moved over me, probing me for any power whatsoever.

  My amulet was still working well, it seemed.

  As I approached the ordering counter, a burly woman who looked like she could lift entire trolls above her head was masterfully making a meal on the grilling rack.

  ‘A warrior turned chef?’ I wondered to myself. She moved well enough.

  “What is on the menu for today, chef?” I asked.

  She turned around, showing a massive scar on her patched left eye that spoke of a near death experience, streaking vertically across her noggin. Her netted short brown hair not moving an inch as she did so.

  ‘It's uncommon that an injury would persist on a human of such power unless cursed or denied treatment.’ I observed.

  “Anything you want, Your Eminence.” She gruffly answered.

  “Give me whatever you think is best for a growing weapon of the empire.” I joked, a grin appearing across my face.

  ‘Best to be kind to the man or woman who is in charge of food,’ I reminded myself.

  “Very well, Your Eminence, be but a moment.” She looked impassive as she moved over to another skillet that was cooking slowly with a simmer.

  She then brought over the entire skillet in one hand and in the other hand, a plate and a spoon. She then placed the plate on the marble counter. Lastly, she poured out a stir-fry of highland beef, tundra mushrooms, ordinary broccoli, ordinary garlic and gravy.

  I looked at it with interest, taking it. “Thank you for the meal, chef.” She nodded and went back to her earlier meal that was still cooking.

  I then walked over to a lone table and sat down, a metal cup of water chased after me.

  I started chowing down, hungrier than I thought.

  —------------

  ~thirty minutes later

  —------------------------

  I finished my meal, eating slowly, enjoying the time to myself of being alone at a table. After the display earlier, no one seemed to want to approach me. Understandable, but slightly disappointing since I thought the academy had more interesting people in it.

  As I walked away from the canteen, I washed the dish, cup and spoon in the sink.

  I started walking over to the library for my supervised study. Knowing I still had some time before it started, I was interested in researching whatever the hell that disembodied voice was.

  —------------

  ~An hour later

  —-----------------

  ‘nothing.’ I spat out in my head. Countless books littered the table I was at.

  I was on the fourth story of the library that was called the monster encyclopedia. An entire floor dedicated to anything not human. Yet I found nothing even coming close to the being that tore me from my dream without my body and hurt me in ways I had yet to discover.

  ‘What in the actual devil was that thing?’ I wondered in my head.

  I was completely stumped. They even had documents dated hundreds of years ago when a baron of the nine-hells surfaced on the mortal plain and wrecked havoc. It was left unchecked until one of the current church leaders of the master work banished it back to whence it came.

  I then thought to myself that I may have been missing something.

  ‘Ah, the supervised study.’ I audibly face palmed as I walked over to the railing guarded edge that could see all the way down to the first floor.

  I took three pieces of metal from my academy belt that I kept there for emergencies and manipulated them into boots and a gauntlet.

  I then vaulted over the banister and let myself fall.