10 – Visionary

Hundreds of green-skinned humanoid creatures walked in the middle of the forest. The majority are half the height of adults, with only a few being giants. They were ready to shed blood.

Goblins. They had been scouting a village for some time. Those vile creatures can't wait to rob and commit other heinous acts against humans.

***

In the empty area with high walls, Trish watched Lance, Cecil, and Eve attach the armor parts to her body.

"This is my first time wearing full armor." The black-haired woman muttered. "Are you guys sure about hiring me? It... Sorry, yesterday I was the one who asked for this job, but now I'm asking for something like that."

"You'll understand soon why we want to hire you." Lance smiled and handed her the helmet. "Like I said, this is no ordinary armor."

Instead of putting it on, Trish observed that thing. It has three short horns on it. "Sorry, I wanted to ask something unimportant again... Isn't this too cool for armor? From your description, I conclude this thing will be used for war, right?"

"Everything I do has meaning." Lance widened his smile. "If the government wants to use this thing for war, I'm sure they also wish for the next generation to wear this armor, right?"

"You want little kids to think it's cool, and then dream of wearing it?" Cecil gulped. "You thought that far?"

"That's very visionary, Lance. I'm amazed." Even though she said that, Eve's expression was still flat.

Lance didn't answer.

"Well, that's good I guess." Trish tried to fit the helmet on her head, but had difficulty. "I feel like my joints are very stiff…. I remember the monster that could spit out disgusting liquid. The liquid will harden and make your movements stiff... Sorry, I babbled on unimportant things again."

"It's okay if you're nervous." Lance helped Trish put the helmet on her head. "Everything will be easier after this."

After the helmet covered Trish's head, Eve placed a red crystal in the hole in the armor's chest.

"This…." Trish looked at the glowing crystal. Then, while raising her head, she asked. "Errr…. Aren't you guys going too far with me?"

Lance, Cecil, and Eve stepped back several meters from the warrior. They wanted to avoid injury. 

"It's okay." Lance can't wait to see his new mech in action. "This is so you can move freely. Start by walking, please."

"Alright." Trish took a breath, then stretched her body. Right after that, she froze and didn't walk. "What? What in the name of wine god?"

"You feel something?" Eve took a step forward. "Please tell us."

"I have a hard time explaining this…" The female warrior opened and closed her hands in front of her face. "After hearing your explanation yesterday, I thought this would be similar to getting a strength buff on my body. But this is different. Very different."

That was enough to trigger a smirk on Lance's face. "So, can you walk with that?"

Trish took the first step, and she fell, making a loud sound of metal and the ground colliding.

"Do we need to help her?" Cecil frowned as time passed, but Trish still hadn't gotten up.

"I'm fine!" The female warrior raised her hand. She tried to get up, but fell again. "I'm really fine. Damn, why does this armor make me excited?"

Having just stood up, she fell for the third time.

"We have to help her." Cecil steps forward, but Lance grabs her shoulder.

"Like I said, we have to keep our distance from her." The young man warned. "One uncontrolled movement of the armor could injure or even kill us."

"We already told her that." Eve added. "And she accepted this job, regardless."

"It's okay…. O blonde woman who is also muscular like me. Sorry, I haven't memorized your name yet." Finally, Trish could stand up straight. "Now, I understand this assignment."

"I'm glad to hear that." Lance rubbed his chin in thought.

Trish walks again and fell. "F*ck!"

"Hey, how about you do some basic martial arts moves instead?" Lance suggested. "When doing that, you pay more attention to your balance, right? So that you don't easily fall under your opponent's attacks?"

"Yeah, if you put it that way." Trish scratched her head and remembered that she was wearing a metal helmet. "My teacher always told me to watch my steps."

"Please, do it, then."

"Okay boss." Trish takes a stance with two fists in front of her face. And when she punched in the air, she lost her balance.

"It seems she does need more time." Eve commented.

"Possible." Lance's eyes narrowed as he watched Trish still having difficulty throwing one punch. "But she exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect she could keep herself standing while doing a move like that. I think she will give us good input."

Trish lost her balance many times, but she always managed to stay standing on two legs.

"By paying attention to my steps, I know why I have difficulty walking with this thing." Trish explained after doing several shadow boxing sessions. "How do I put it…. This armor's legs are late in responding to my movements?"

Smirk returned to Lance's face. "I already guessed. We will make some adjustments."

"A new problem, huh?" Eve wrote the discovery in a book. "So, what about after this? Should we end this session?"

"No." Lance shook his head. "Removing the armor takes time. We better ask Trish to do some different moves to retrieve some more data…"

Lance stopped his words when he found Eve's maid running toward them. "There's a group of goblins marching towards this village!"

"Take a breath first." Eve suggested as the maid stopped in front of her. "You mentioned goblins?"

The maid caught her breath, then continued. "The goblins are approaching this village! We have to run! The villagers can already see them from the village's outskirts!"

Cecil widened her eyes. "Have the villagers evacuated!?"

"They are doing it…"

"If the villagers run away now, the goblins will catch up to them. Those green monsters are quite fast." Lance walked away from his friends. "Not to mention what those goblins will do. They will steal and burn the villagers' house. The villagers' lives would be ruined. They will suffer, even if they survive."

"One guard said that he and his comrades' strength could not defeat those goblins! There are too many of them!" The maid started crying in despair. "This is not the time to chat, Miss Evelyn! We have to run now!"

"Oh no…." Trish gasped as Lance got closer to her. "Please, don't say what's on your mind, boss. I'm still new here, but I can already guess it."

The young man stopped just a few inches from the female warrior. "This armor is our only hope."

"Sh*t." Trish sighed. "You said it."