Laying Low

Julian annoyingly woke up to Avina-2's ear piercing announcement.

"Good morning successor! Your breakfast has been prepared!"

He groggily stood up and walked into the dining room still in his pajamas. He disdainfully glanced at Avina-2 and wondered if Intellus had sent the little robot to disrupt his peaceful sleep. 'What is so good about the morning?!'

The luxury of living in high-class-like accommodation seemed to not uplift his mood at all. Even the once delicious breakfast had become stale with how Avina-2 had kept its routine of being Julian's alarm clock.

"Will you be hunting today, successor?! I have specially prepared a high-protein and calorie diet for you today!"

"No." Julian absent-mindedly answered. "I'm going to lie low and train today."

As much as he tried to avoid sparring against the dummy robot, Julian knew that he should not fully rely on external equipment alone. Also, they had been creating ruckus on the northern side non-stop yesterday. If they went out and caused another commotion today, it would provoke many of these beasts.

He did not want to do that unless he had the firepower to retaliate in a non-suicidal manner.

"Tell Intellus to prepare the training room. Also, Avina-2, tell Aunt Cecille to cook the meals next time."

Avina-2 stopped on its tracks and confusingly turned around, "Who is Aunt Cecille, if I may ask, successor?"

'I... really do miss the orphanage...' Julian snapped out of his daze and chuckled. "Nothing."

...

"Hmm?"

Julian arrived and noticed that the dummy robot was not alone today. It was standing amongst other dummy robots as well.

Intellus stood beside him, innocent.

"What's the deal with this one?!" Julian thought of a horrifying situation: being ganged up by multiple peak Stage 1 dummy robots!

"I have analyzed and simulated some data and found that this is a better way for the successor to steadily increase your body agility cycle. I can even enable the gravitational module to increase the gravity and your gravitational resistance at the same time.", Intellus's eyes flickered.

Julian rolled his eyes about how Intellus wanted to explain the nit-bits that he did not want to hear. "Just tell me how it works."

He was not worried after seeing the slightly downscaled attributes of the dummy robots.

"Similarly to how your close-quarter-combat tests are run.", Intellus remarked.

"Oh? But with my bare body this time?", Julian was intrigued. "How am I supposed to defeat them?"

"The dummy robots have multiple sensors placed on their bodies. Any strike fatal enough to severely injure organic humanoid creatures under Stage 1 will disable them."

Julian clicked his tongue, "Well that's convenient. Set up the environment then."

Intellus's eyes flashed in and out while the training room turned over a new fresh paint. Julian found himself outside a large building, five-storey high.

"The dummies are randomly placed and have no indications whatsoever of their positions during the course. The successor will need to be highly reactive and professional in taking out the targets."

Julian knuckled his fists and searched around the building for an entrance.

"The timer will start once the successor enters the building. You should complete it as quickly as possible."

"You don't have to tell me that!" Julian barged through the back door and easily broke the rusty metal lock. Through the commotion, three dummy robots emerged and struck from both his sides and at the front.

Julian shifted his body and grabbed the arm of the robot on the left, smashing it into the robot at his right. Then he dodged the last robot's strike and pummeled it into the ground with three swift strikes at the torso, neck, and head.

He finished off the other two robots who were still entangled with one another in a weird fashion. Julian strode to the left side of the building and right when he approached a wooden door, a fist cracked through it and punched at him unsuspectingly.

He reacted and swatted the hand away, then grabbed it and pulled the robot hiding behind. He crippled the legs and struck fatally with his knee straight into its face, caving it in.

Julian squeezed the robot's arms tightly with bloodshot eyes. He had just let off a lot of pent up stress coming from Avina and the other dummy robot.

"Damn you, Intellus! You think I'm not strong enough? I'll let you have a taste of what a combat genius star graduate is like!"

Meanwhile, the innocent looking Intellus stood blankly at the entrance of the building. In front of his vision was the camera feedback of Julian's fierce combat techniques.

"Receiving new data. Body Force, above 6000 N. Body Agility Cycle, 3.05 Az. Gravitational and Radioactive Resistance, nigh. Kinetic Barrier: 10 Kn."

Unsurprised, Intellus quickly set up new arrangements for the floor and above, slightly increasing the attributes of the dummy robots to give Julian a better challenge.

The man inside the building was already on the second floor, carrying the body of a downed dummy robot and threw it to the sides. He carefully wiped off the sweat on his face and readied his stance.

'It should be anytime now.'

A hand suddenly appeared on the floorboard below him, trying to grasp Julian's neck. His foot had long been raised and forcefully slammed it into the ambushing robot's face. He was surprised, however, to find that it didn't cave in unlike before.

Unbothered, Julian dodged to the sides. A knife flew past by and would've hit him if he hadn't moved in advance. The cabinet's doors on the corner flipped open and another dummy robot sent a punch aimed at his face.

He slapped it away and sent a chop on, targeting the exposed wires on its neck. The dummy suddenly grabbed his hand out of nowhere and tried to flip him upside down but Julian remained steadfast and pulled the robot closer to him instead before crushing that smugly chin with his elbow and lopping its head with another punch.

The rest of the dummy robots had arrived on his side and were now facing off in a 1v2.

Julian casually feinted an attack on the left while quickly shifting his body and connected a hook at the dummy on the right. Then, he kicked with his right leg to try and push the other robot but blocked it firmly with its metallic hands.

Julian smiled after seeing this as he used the tight hold as a platform to launch his other leg a roundhouse kick at its mate. Then, his body rolled mid-air, forcing the other robot upside down.

Not long after, Julian finished off the two robots and continued on the way.

Intellus took note of this and further increased the difficulty later. Julian had to fight even harder as he climbed up the stairs while being surrounded at every side.

An hour later, an exhausted Julian sprawled on the rooftop of the large building with bruises and wounds all over his body.

"Can't you go easy? What if my body breaks down again?!", he cursed. What kind of sadistic robot was this Intellus about?

It was his first time seeing such a supposedly loyal AI jovial about providing more and more challenge to its superior. If not for the harsh training that he had under Major Edwards, he wouldn't have been able to get up to the top floor at all.

The green mist landed on his body, repairing the damaged muscles and skin at rapid rate. Not only did he feel good afterwards, but he also even felt that his muscles had become stronger, and his control increased by a margin.

But a thought suddenly dawned unto him, 'This must be a facade. That damn Intellus should be giving me a new challenge now.'

However, the innocent looking Intellus kept staring at him without saying another word. This confrontation was so awkward that Julian was speechless as well.

"Tell me Intellus. How am I holding up?"

"I believe that the successor has far more skills than what I could currently assess. Further tests are required to fully assess the successor's complete combat capabilities, including weapon proficiency and mecha suit piloting."

'You just want to torture me, that's all!' Julian held on to his sanity for dear life, "Sync my new information into my VNI."

Intellus did as he ordered, and Julian saw a vast improvement in his overall physical characteristics. The only worrying part now would be his non-existent gravitational and radioactive resistance.

"Not bad, I guess? What's the next step?"

Intellus stood in attention, "I will need a few more days and several resources to establish a new training plan for the successor. However, you may utilize the previous test to further polish your combat skills.", Intellus rubbed the back of his head which was a first. "I have also received information about the surrounding environment from Avina which should help me optimize a plan for setting up energy production buildings within the 500-meter vicinity northside."

Julian furrowed his brows, "Will that not affect your research progress?"

Intellus shook his head, "The research project is a joint project with another construct, Unducel, an AI construct built solely for medical purposes. It can provide me an additional computing power during the course of the research project."

"Are there any other constructs I need to know of?", Julian eyed Intellus.

"You may not have met them, but I also have Havier help me in routing the energy grid of the entire base and keeping a lookout for any defects."

"I can also sense two other constructs lying dormant inside the AI Core room in the HQ Building, but I cannot determine the reason for their dormancy, nor how would they be reactivated. It is a strange case that I cannot properly think of a solution."

Julian nodded and put that problem into the back of his mind. "I guess that's enough for a rest."

He stretched his arms and legs and jogged in place. "Let's change the rules this time, Intellus. 1.25 g."

"Affirmative.", its robotic eyes flickered, and Julian could feel the suppression coming from the gravity. There was a low hum emanating under the training room, proving to be a nuisance to his ears and his other senses.

"Fire it up!"