Chapter 1:
Mechanical vs Psychological
Secretive Guild
A short young lady, Bertha Hubert, read a scientific journal about magical caves. She had a bit long black hair, and she wore white ruffle blouse. It was a nice day, she felt relaxed and enjoyed that her curiosity was answered every time she turned the pages.
Until that man broke silence.
“Have you become stronger?” asked the man with black trench coat near Bertha. His name was Ernest Howard, upper-class man who was known for his countless fight with criminals in slums. It wasn’t for justice, he just wanted to beat others and find stronger opponents. It also wasn’t because he was born as an undefeated vampire, or because he had a tragic past. No. He just wanted to beat people. A mad lad.
Bertha understood that Ernest was looking for a fight with that question. Thus she shocked and dropped her journal. She couldn’t believe what she had heard. “Chief. I’m a fragile lady with noncombative powers-like your typical charming noblesse-and I need to speak my mind with manner. Thus, I’m confused how to say, ‘Are you out of your mind?!’”
“A fragile, weak lady would just tremble in this situation. But you fought back, and you have raised your order,” replied Ernest in cold manner with his deep voice.
“Yes, I raised my order and got combative power, but that’s not strong. As long as it just sparring, then let’s go. But, you wouldn’t be satisfied with that, right?”
“A fight without thirst for survival, won’t be that hard. Fight me like you fight a monster.”
Bertha was speechless for a while. “You see, Chief. One reason that I stay with you is that you don’t mind when women pursue knowledge. But I know well that you are Bloody Gentleman-no, how could you be gentle and bloody at the same time?-Alright, let’s fight,” complained Bertha with different voice pitch. Bertha left the guild hall and went to practice field.
A few years ago, magical caves appeared out of nowhere and sucked its surroundings in Titan Kingdom, another world kingdom which resembled Britain in early Victorian era, so before the rise of modern physics. In those caves, there were monsters, minerals, and ponds of magical water. Thus it was magical. Then government established a guild system to deal with it.
If one drank a magical water, they could gain supernatural powers. However, if they lacked knowledge in certain disciplines, they won’t gain any powers. Thus people in Titan Kingdom, called Titans, established a few magical disciplines.
Ernest was adept in mechanics, one branch of physics, thus he could gain Mechanical discipline supernatural powers (in simple terms, could gain skills from Mechanical class). However, one also needed to realized and experimented with certain illogical ideas about nature to have the powers. For example, Ernest got Energy Manipulation power. With that power, after he did a repeated attack pattern, let’s say, straight punches, he could have and feel more potential energy overflowing in his body. According to physics, potential energy could transform to kinetic energy, kinetic energy was mass with speed, and a greater speed meant a greater momentum thus could cause a greater force and injury. In other words, due to the supernatural power, even with a light touch, Ernest could cause a devastating force and injury.
Bertha took five meters from Ernest in the practice field. It was just dirt on it, surrounded by walls.
“Fight,” Ernest drew out his revolver gun from his coat. He needed to immobilize Bertha fast. But of course Bertha wouldn’t stay still.
“Sit!” Bertha shouted.
Ernest sat down against his will, and he couldn’t do other action, like using his supernatural powers. That was Bertha’s Order 2 Psychological discipline power, named Dictator’s Order. Whatever she instructed, would be executed without fail for two minutes. There were limited commands. She could not command someone to commit suicide, for example, and she could not command someone to do any impossible task within two minutes. Thus supernatural powers or magical disciplines could balance each other (like in a video game).
Titans established that supernatural powers had an order, Order 3 to Order 1 (or tier 3 to tier 1), and Order 1 had stronger powers. One could raise their order through practice and more research of their magical discipline. In the last few days, Bertha successfully raised her order and got new powers.
Bertha also had a revolver gun. Thus she took out her revolver and pointed it at Ernest’s heart. She actually felt complicated, but Ernest would be disappointed if she wasn’t serious.
“Good bye, Chief.”
Hm? Bertha surprised. She couldn’t pull the trigger. It just stuck. Chief is from Order 2 Mechanical discipline. Order 2 Energy Manipulation could adjust energy of touched inanimate object for three hours. Could it be, he made the trigger has zero kinetic energy for three hours? So it cannot be pulled-or my gun just broken.
Ernest curled up his lips. He did use his Order 2 Energy Manipulation to break Bertha’s revolver beforehand. In a supernatural fight, generally there were buildup and execution step, both were equally important. For example, Ernest needed to build up more potential energy in his body with Order 3 Energy Manipulation before he could release a strong attack with a light punch. And Bertha needed to buy time before she could use Dictator’s Order again, the time interval needed was fifteen minutes. Her target must also be aware of her presence.
It were equally important, because buildup or preparation step could also be a decisive factor in a fight! In Bertha’s case, she didn’t have a strong body, and her only weapon was her revolver. She also hesitated to do gruesome things like stabbing someone’s eye with her revolver after they were immobilized. Thus, her broken revolver put her in very disadvantageous situation.
Bertha approached Ernest and took Ernest’s revolver. The trigger also stuck. “So taking your gun was just your gimmick.” Bertha stared Ernest, “Chief… did you do something weird to me when I slept in the hall? You probably touched my gun.” Ernest was gentleman, he wouldn’t do any weird thing to Bertha. So her question was rhetorical.
Bertha smirked. She sat down and put her hand on her chest. It was her begging pose. “Please, be gentle…” Bertha became not serious and teased Ernest to stop the fight. Bertha knew well that Ernest won’t beat people when they surrendered after a serious fight or when they didn’t deserve it. Ernest would also give a funny reaction when she teased him.
Ernest clicked his tongue. ”Indeed, you become stronger. What is the name of that control power?”
“Dictator’s Order. It can also be used on monsters. The target must be aware of my presence. But I can only use it once per fifteen minutes, Chief.”
“Very good,” Ernest stood up and left with little disappointment.
Pfff, you are weak to a frail woman like me, aren’t you, Chief? No-Bloody Gentleman, Bertha curled up her lips and avoided her death.
***
Beneath Blackfrost's surface, on a large room.
A wooden doll sat on a long table with smartphone on his hands. That creepy doll was one form of Dunno, reincarnated person from another world. He was from country which spoke Japanese language.
Smartphone was chaotic existence in Titan Kingdom, because the technology in early Victorian era couldn’t possibly create it. However, it was possible in the future, thus Dunno could create it with his Order 1 Chaos discipline power, named Chaotic Existence. Another world was considered as a fiction, but it came true, thus a fiction like a castle in the sky could also be created with that power. However, to balance it with supernatural powers from other magical disciplines, Chaotic Existence could only be used once per week and it could not create anything that so grand. For example, that power couldn’t create a fictitious planet from manga on his previous world.
Dunno watched the fight between Ernest and Bertha through his smartphone. He also created security cameras with his power and put it in few places beforehand, thus he could oversee some people. Ernest Howard… he practices hard every day and he isn’t a bad person. Well although something a bit off from his brain.
Dunno tapped his index finger on the table. He could be the strongest in Titan at the future. Alright, I choose you, Ernest Howard! Be stronger and conquer those sh*tty dungeons!
Oh, he is handsome but I don’t think he fits to be an idol and have Idol discipline powers. Well, let’s find one more person for that purpose.
You can resume reading from this paragraph.
Please log in to leave a comment.