Sorry i didn't release yesterday. I was sick with a cold and wasn't in the mood.

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Techno PoV

With our bodies fixed we go see Gaia to see if she can tell us where we can fight something.

I also wanted to see how she was acting and try and piss her off even more.

We get to the government building and without any of the guards stopping us we head inside and knock on the door to her room.

A robot opens and we see her on her desk typing away at the primitive keyboards with somewhat scary speed.

Without diverting her eyes from the screens she started talking.

Gaia: ‘If you’re here just to piss me off I will have the guards throw you out like they throw out the trash.’

Techno: ”Tell us where we can find a dungeon to fight in so we can reach level 30 fast.”

Gaia: ‘Good luck finding one within a 20km radius of this town. The tanks and Knights cleared them out ages ago and even now keep going back to make sure no new random robot took up residence and was growing.’

I frown hearing this but before I can type anything to send she continued.

Gaia: ‘That was why we built a training center. The dwarves remembered your method of training those three behind you and started doing that sometime after you left. I took it to the next level and made a workshop for tinkers to train programming, body construction and tinkering with the clockwork drones used for training. We have a variety, the training center is on the north east side of town. Now shoo.”

She waved her hands while saying shoo which pissed me off. I was going to have to get her back for this. Still we didn’t deny the invitation to the place. We needed quick levels so we were going to trash the drones there and I can even train my body construction and tinkering skill at the same time. Two birds with one stone.

We leave without causing too much of a stir like we did the first time and go to the northeast area. The practice field was a huge circular area with nothing but countless drones. Near the start were barely working level 1 clockwork combat robots. As they go they get stronger and more repaired.

By the time we reach a third of the way the robots are completely repaired and level 10. From there they branch into classes like knights, scouts, marksmen, miners and so on. The miners ones look rather scary.

In the middle of all this we could see tons of people fighting it out with one robot or another. Only parties actually fought more than one robot at a time so there was a kind of setting to these bots.

When we reached the middle we found a building there. We went in and found a large workshop with dwarves and clockwork all over the place.

We were confused on who to talk to but that was resolved when a dwarf came up to us. One we knew somewhat.

Victor: ‘Yo, how can we help?’

Bulk: ‘Hey Victor long time no see?’

Victor: ‘Do I know you guys?’

Nova: ‘Wow shorty doesn’t remember us~!’

As soon as she said that the workshop stopped and looked over with everyone grinning and holding the laugh in.

Victor: ‘Urg, I remember that cheeky blunt reply. Nova right, so that means the two hulking masses of metal are Techno and Bulk.’

Bulk: ‘There we go, so how are things?’

Victor: ‘Boring, all I've been able to do is train on the bots and repair them.’

I poke him and he looked a bit at me before he understands and lowers the visors on his helmet.

Techno: ”You could leave and travel.”

Victor: ‘To travel through the mountains you need nearly 1 month on foot to reach the shipyard city where the human settlement once was. Even with the clean up from the tanks the mountains are still dangerous. Only a ship can make it through safely and fast.”

Techno: ‘...’

I thought a lot for a few moments. I had nothing against him and considering how he was the one that came to me meant that he still had some fame as an old leader. Also counting the fact that dwarves are faster than others on a forge and his skills are probably already better then mine it could be profitable for me as well.

Techno: ”Why not come with us. I need someone good on the forge. It would make my production faster since I am the only one smithing for now.”

Bulk: ‘Wha!! No way you asked yourself!’

Victor: ‘You sure.’

Techno: ”We already have a ship thanks to my connection to Gaia. Once we reach level 30 again we will make steel bodies and go dungeon hunting to regain the rest of them.

Victor: ‘I see, considering you are machine built a smith would be more like a healer to you guys.’

I nod. He scratches his bearded cheek while he thinks about it.

Victor: ‘What levels you guys at right now.’

Bulk: ‘I’m 27.’

Techno: ”I’m 24 and Nova is 26”

Victor: ‘Get to level 30 today and I'll join ya. I don’t want some weak party I know will do things slow.’

I grinned at his challenge. We were going to out do ourselves for sure.

Techno: ”Fine, get your things ready. What is the current level range?”

Victor: ‘This way.’

He leads us to a board with a circle drawn on it. The circle was divided by 3 lines. The one that represents the closest area near the town went from level 1 to level 10. The second one that went to near the back was from 11 - 25 and the last one was from 26 - 50.

Victor: ‘Here it is. This is the makeup of the training field. The first and second zone is filled with passive combat drones and if you are alone even if you hit two or more drones they won’t all fight you. In the third area it's not the same though. The drones there are made to attack in simple group attacks and use coordinated strategies depending on which drones are fighting.’

Bulk: ‘Wow this is really nice. So this is how the place is set up.’

Blaze: ‘So are we going to fight around here?’

Techno: ”Like hell we will. We are going to level three. You three can fight together but it’s in that area unless you want to feel hell.

Brock told them what I said since he had an old dwarf helmet on his head. They quieted down instantly and we plan how we would do this before leaving.

We leave the workshop and head towards the area with the higher level drones.

It was interesting to see the designs of the drones. Some were bulky while others skinny. They had swords for arms or some had miniguns. It was impressive how diverse the clockworks could become. If all these were released on an army or something it would be interesting.

Of all of the robots we saw the miners ones were definitely the scariest for close combat.

When we got into the aggressive zone the miners took a turn for the worse getting extra armor and better drills made for combat instead of simple mining.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cKL7tCJ5W_M/ThM7GxKWC0I/AAAAAAAAB3w/uFn9RkhzIwo/s400/ghordson-driller.png)

Bulk: ‘Welp this is it then. Let’s have fun with these guys.’

Ena: ‘How can you say fun. Really, men, you all think the same.’

Nova: ‘YAY~~ we get to break these things.’

When Nova yelled that I looked back smiling only to see her sniper finish coming out and she simply aimed it one direction away from us and let loose.

BOOM!

The spinning drill bit stake shot out almost glowing red from the heat. I looked at its path of destruction and it dug its way through eight large miner drones like butter and 4 more knights while getting slower until it fell out the other side of the last one.

Nova was laughing but everyone else was slackjawed. I opened her status window just to be sure but yep a full level from killing all those. Now she was ranked the same as Bulk.

The big sniper was put away will she grinned and pulled out her rifles from her arm. She noticed the difference instantly as it slid out.

Nova: ‘Thanks bro for the better toy.’

She said that and looked down at her protector. From its arms she made it pull out the miniguns in its arms. It bent forwards and leapt forwards as she left us behind and started shooting.

Bulk: ‘Really, that girl has some problem.’

Techno: ”Ever heard of those people who gain a different kind of personality when doing a certain activity?”

Bulk: ‘Ya, I read some light novels with that why?’

Techno: ”Nova is definitely like that.”

The others started to chuckled.

The elementals took their full form and got ready before leaving to train together away from us. Bulk pulled out his swords and taking a battle pose he ran towards the nearest drone and began hacking away.

I went with him but I took a boxer's fighting pose. I trained with this style for some time to help me vent my anger which has helped me a lot in the long run. I end the day calmer that’s for sure.

As I reach my target who was already targeting me I put my back into my straight right.

-60 (critical)

(-60) 240/300

The punch left a dent with the imprint of my fist. I pulled my right fist back and sent my left fist at the same time right into the same spot doing 30 extra points of damage.

-90 (Critical)

(-90) 150/300

So its true what they say. Hitting either a vital spot or with enough force depending on your opponent can get criticals in a row. Not only that if you hit the same spot in series you will do extra damage.

The robot I was fighting was a knight style robot with a circular upper body and normal arms and legs but both bulkier than Bulk and me.

A few cracks were already appearing from the dent.

It didn’t mind it and ran at me while swinging its right arm at me. I ducked and with an uppercut backed by the rise from me ducking put a bit extra strength in the punch. I also hit the same spot which crushed its entire shell causing the gears in its body to go flying.

-150 (fatal)

(-150) 0/300

When I looked at Bulk he had sliced two robots to pieces already and while nova was making a line of destruction as she bombarded the robots with bullets.

I frown at my slow pace. I turn to the next robot and run at it before pounding it then run to two other robots hitting them making them agro me.

I start pounding them and receive damage myself but I destroy them by smashing them to pieces.

After finishing these three I look at the others. I can’t think of catching up to nova but bulk has killed nearly 15 already. When I looked at the elementals I saw them trashing a large group with AOE skills using their element manipulation skills.

Raining fire and rising earth.

I was getting pissed so I pulled out the grenade launcher. I removed the case I had and pulled out a new one. Let me say that consumables have no level restriction.

I still the new bombs into the ammo chamber and get them in place.

I aim the launcher high and shoot 3 shots right into the middle of the robots.

BOOM BOOM BOOM.

With three massive explosions caused by the bombs dozens of robot parts went flying around.

This here is what I just fired at them. Oh and I also leveled up once from that. Level 25 now.

Explosive Remote Activated Bomb

Consumable

A small bomb made to activate by remote control or through transmission. The bomb is made with low quality gunpowder and has a blast radius of 8 meters. The shockwave caused by various bombs going off near each other can cause damage to those nearby.

Damage 600

Since the robots have around 300 durability. This works best for me. I simply walked through the crowd of robots rushing me and fire off bombs all over the place before backing off and set off the trap when the bots are over them. This was rather fun. I quickly caught up to even Nova but she made sure to use her sniper to get rid of a good number with a single shot.

As the sun set we finished up and headed back to the workshop after clearing out about half the robots in the third section and six of us reaching level 35.

Victor PoV

I have a really bad headache right now. The reason is the massive pile of robots that were destroyed by six people.

The elementals and the three clockworks had cleared out the third area as if they were playing around. I was now understanding why they got the fame. The strongest crew “The Clockworks”. They definitely hold to their titles these guys are monsters.

To clear so many drones to level up more than 10 levels they cleared out nearly all the level 26 - 35 bots and part of all the higher leveled ones. Even the highest level players would say this was crazy.

Victor: ‘Well you passed level 30 in a day. Can’t deny what I said. Where are you guys staying?’

Bulk: ‘We will be leaving when we load the ship with our things.’

Victor: ‘No new body?’

Techno: ”Build it in the privacy of my ship.”

I nod and with them we pack my stuff and then got to their workshop. They load a huge amount of stuff to the robots they have and take it to the docks and load it into the caravel ship they had.

They go back and retrieve the rest.

Techno: ”Going to get Rust before we leave.”

With Techno saying that he leaves with his sister riding her robot running behind him.

Bulk: ‘This will end very badly.’

Victor: ‘How so?’

Bulk: ‘Two reasons, Rust does most of Gaia’s work and two Techno likes pissing Gaia off.’

It didn’t take much to understand exactly what he was going to do and I frown when I thought about it.

Techno PoV

After running a good bit of the way I reach the government house. I go in followed by Nova who had to leave the protector outside. We reach Gaia’s room which was open with her on the PC and luckily with Rust beside her assisting her with documents

Techno: Rust, we are leaving.

Rust: Really, already? I thought you would stay longer. Well I can’t stop you, still to think you would go so fast. Hope you visit often.’

Nova: ‘What are you talking about. Bro came here to pick you up and take with us.’

Rust: ‘Wha!’

Gaia: ‘Finally time to get away from this place. Hurry Rust get my things and let disappear fast. I don’t want to sign another paper.’

Techno: ”No way. It’s not good to be so irresponsible o great Queen of the Clockworks. Just like Lyra, who I might say hates her position, you need to suck it up and get your work done by yourself. Now lets go Rust.

Gaia: ‘WAAAAIIIIT.’

In a moment she was off her seat and holding my shoulders. Her eyes were glowing red.

Gaia: ‘I...WILL...NOT...BE...LEFT...BACK…

Techno: ”YOU...WILL. And you will let me go.”

I shake her off and walk to the door.

Techno: ”You coming Rust?

Rust: ‘Sorry Techno but the work here is very intense for Gaia to do by herself. I’m the most efficient Clockwork in the regard of organization here. I will stay, if you need anything we set up communication stations in our cities. You can call me any time. If you need something urgent I think Delta can make the connection faster.’

Delta: ”I can very well do that. I can directly connect you guys as well if needed but I won’t do the service for everyone in the nation so don’t ask. Best get used to using the communication stations”

Rust: ‘Just call.’

We nod understanding as we look at Gaia who had faintly glowing eyes. Damn it must suck being queen but she chose to be it so she deals with it like all royalty do.

We pick up the protector and head back to the ship. I inform the five who are there that Rust will stay here and the reason. They understand and we fix the ship before setting off into the world to who knows where.