Yo, guys, Author here, I changed some things in the chapter Bound by Tears, so what happens in this chapter makes more sense, thanks for reading :3

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Scarlet, Karah, and Markus all had strange faces

And Markus asked

"Hey man, are you sure you're fine? Wouldn't it be better for you to go rest for a while, and leave me in command in the meanwhile?"

With a smirk

Then I answered angrily

"What's up with you now? Didn't you learn anything from the hologram on your tank, dammit? We are all susceptible to fast and definite changes in our bodies, the only thing wrong with me is that I don't know exactly what changed. You know what- leave me alone for a bit, got set a training field five meters away from the seed, and I'll be there shortly."

Then shook my head, and let it fall on my hand, with the famous facepalm.

Markus threw his hands up, as if surrendering, and left. Karah soon followed, but throwing back some worried glances.

Scarlet stood in the same place, looking at me.

Diana seeing me unmoving with my head in my hand, came closer, and poked my arm with her nose, trying to get my attention- but to no avail. Realizing I wouldn't move, she simply walked to the space between my legs, and laid down, with her head on my lap.

Scarlet then went behind me, sat down, and let her back rest against mine, and just stayed there for a bit, silent.

After something like ten minutes, I said

"I'm sorry for exploding like that- I was nervous, afraid- them comes Markus with that shit about not being well, and giving up command, I just couldn't take it."

I felt Scarlet taking a deep breath through my back, then she told me

"It's alright. I know why you did that, and I understand, you'll be fine, Nate."

Then continued

"But still... I don't get why Markus is acting that way. It seems he gets distant around you...

We chatted a lot when you were giving Dia a bath, and he was much brighter and funny. I just don't know what's gotten into him.

Anyway, I'm sorry he said that Nate, but you should talk to him later, see what's wrong, okay?"

"Fine" I said, sighing

If he had some problem with me, he shouldn't have agreed on my command yesterday, dammit

Deciding I had enough of doing nothing, I touched Dia, signaled her to follow me, and told Scarlet to join the others.

Then I went into the seed's storage, got some meat slabs, two pots, and headed to the kitchen. There I filled one with water, sliced the meat, and filled the other with it.

I put both on the ground, and said "Dig in, this is me apologizing for scaring you" to Diana

She sent me "happiness" and devoured all the meat.

I smirked a bit, seeing my happy pet- and decided to go to the "training field" I asked them to set.

But first, I went to the arsenal, because I couldn't have gloves as my main weapon, it was too limited. I'd decided I would get a sword and a pistol too, the gloves only being my last resort.

Walking over to the the firearms shelf, I found out that each of them had a 1.5 meter long, bladed pole on the left. I walked over to the information section each shelf had, and read that the poles were processors- when I ran out of ammo, I'd have to stick the pole on the ground, so it would collect the minerals required to make more bullets, and process them, producing the shells and spare ammo containers.

Smart, definitely smart. The pole also ran on kinetic energy, I'd have to move it around a bit until it had enough energy to make the bullets.

Understanding how the ammo system worked, I finally chose my gun. It was a fully black desert eagle, its weight and size pleased me.

The gun and pole straps allowed me to keep the pole across my back, and the gun on my hip. I looked like an assassin monk.

Not changing my mind, even though I technically had three weapons, I walked over to the sword side.

I'd already decided that a katana would be my choice, because I'd always loved them, and they would potentialize my defense, because of their flat side.

So I got the the shelf and tried the katanas, until I found a black one, with good weight and lenght, and strapped it on the left side of my hip, opposite to the gun.

Great, now I looked like a samurai assassin monk, with my long hair moving with the wind and my hand resting on the katana's hilt.

But something went wrong. Pain stormed through my head, as several images, showing warriors fighting with swords, poles, guns and fists flashed in my mind.

It was too much information being poured in my brain

"Stop" I tried to scream, but no words left my mouth, and the world darkened before my eyes.

Wet

My face was wet

What is happening?

I open my eyes and see blue eyes with green strand staring at me

Damn, that why my face was wet

"Stop it, Dia!"

I say, annoyed at all the licking and poking

What happened? I question myself, while Dia bombards me with worry.

I was on the ground

Ah, now I remember- the pain. I fainted.

I tried to sit up straight, but the world whirled around me.

Why is this happening to me? It one unfortunate event after the other.

I search my brain for something, and am surprised by what I know of fighting now.

That's it! The chip! Gods, how I'm stupid-

I overloaded myself with four weapons.

I'd better warn the others before they do the same.

Standing up, but still unable to walk straight, I trip around until I reach door, and call Karah.

"Hey Nate, everything fine? And you look like one of those anime characters, like, a samurai, or monk"

She says

"Not exactly... but I'll tell you shortly. Can you help me walk to the training field?"

I ask

She nods, and puts my arm over her shoulder to support me.

This kinda looks like I'm hitting on her, because she's like, 1,50, and I'm leaning on her.

Shut up, thoughts.

Getting there, I see they did a pretty good job.

There was a rectangular cut on the grass, marking the sparring field, there was a firing range, and some... wooden puppets with rotating sections, set on the ground? Where did they find this?

Anyway, things look pretty good.

Letting go of Karah, who had a smile on her face, I sat down on the grass and thanked her

"Yup" she said, and sat down in front of me, waiting so I'd tell her what happened

I called the others and waited until they'd gotten near before telling them

"Guys, I forgot to tell you all something- don't choose many weapons at once, in the arsenal."

"Oh, and why's that?" Said Markus, in a mocking tone

"Because you'll pass out, just like me"

I looked into his eyes, then continued

"A chip in your heads loads fighting info when you choose a weapon, and it will overload your brain if you choose too many at once. It caused me an enormous amount of pain, because I chose four. So I'd recommend you get only two kinds of weapons for now. Anyway, you should all go to the arsenal and pick what you want, so we can start training"

Scarlet then gave me a thumbs up, and said "Okay!" Before skipping her way to the arsenal

Markus simply left

And Karah gave me another smile, and left me with Diana

After they left, I decided to test the firing range, there were two types of target, the circular one, for bows, and a plate, painted with a target.

I moved to twenty meters from the plate, took my gun from the hip, aimed, and pressed the trigger

*click*

Shit, I forgot to unlock it

I press the trigger again

*click*

You've gotta be kidding me

No freaking ammo.

I sigh, return the gun to its strap, and take the pole that was on my back.

I started spinning it, with my two hands, very fast. Somehow I had muscle memory.

I looked like a human fan, spinning the pole so fast it could only be seen as a blur- until it started to shine white. I stopped the spinning, and looked at it- four holes had opened slightly above the blade, and the handle opened up a socket.

Doing like the instructions said, I stabbed the ground with the spear-like pole, and waited.

Electrical and mechanical sounds chimed from within, and then from the socket jumped out a cartridge filled with ammo. I took it, and loaded the gun- forgetting the pole was still stuck on the ground.

Finishing loading the weapon, I looked to the pole, and facepalmed mysef, because it'd spat another five cartridges.

I hurried and took it off the ground, seeing that where the four holes had been, the earth had been consumed.

Back to shooting- this time I knew the gun was loaded, and made sure it was unlocked

I aimed and pressed the trigger thrice

*tat* *tat* *tat*

Loud noises rang, signaling the gun worked, and the bullets hit the plate where the target was.

I almost didn't feel the recoil

I locked the gun again, and put it on my hip, then walked closer to the target.

My bullets hit the area outside of it- damn

My accuracy is bad, I need to work on that

I tried my hand at shooting during the time the three got their weapons, and managed to at least be able to hit the circle, though not the center yet.

When they got out, I could see their weapons of choice.

Scarlet got a metallic, edged whip and a short bow, and also had some stuff on her hands I couldn't identify

Karah had two daggers on her hip, and a spear on her back

Markus had a bastard sword in his hand and a chakram, an edged circle witha a handle in the center, on his hip

Well... they sure looked ready for a fight.

When Scarlet got closer, she placed five belts on my hands, and said

"Strap to your pulses, heels and hip- it's an armor"

And did exactly what she said on herself

Apparently, Karah and Markus had already equipped theirs.

I did what she asked, and saw a little light blinking on the hip belt.

I touched it, and instantly a black layer of who-knows-what covered my body until the neck.

It seemed even my clothes had turned black

"It's some kind of polymer that increases blunt and cutting resistence, or at least, that's what the info on the shelf said"

Scarlet explained, and skipped her way to the wooden puppets.

"Nate, I'm gonna try the spear a bit, okay? You need anything, call me"

Karah said, and left towards the circular firing range

Marcus was looking at his blade, distracted and did nothing

Curious once again, I decided to test the defense of the armor. I took my katana from its sheath, pressed against my arm, and tried to cut it. It only made a metallic noise, and no damage was done to my skin, nor the armor.

Hell, why didn't I have this during the wolf fight? I though, while deactivating the armor.

Markus looked at me with a strange expression on his face and asked

"Hey, Nate, wanna give sparring a go?"

I though this was a good chance to know what was wrong with him, and train all the same, so I agree, and we walked to the rectangular sparring field.

Getting there, each of us headed to one end of the rectangle, and set the rules.

No injuries, and only two weapons per fight.

I chose the katana and glove

He only had two weapons

We both activated our armors, and he said

"Good luck, wereboy"

And dashed at me, not giving time for an answer

He ran with his sword held down at his hip, and reaching me, he stopped, and used the leverage to throw an upward slash. I dodged it by moving back a step, and expected an opening, because of the sword's weight, but what came to meet me was a kick, that hit square in my chest.

He used the upward force of the slash to jump and do a rotating kick. Then fell on his feet, while I was sent two meters away flying, outside the "arena".

"One point for me!" He said, smirking

I shook my head, surprised, and walked back into the sparring area.

"Let's go again"

I said

And this time, unsheated my katana and took a defensive stance, waiting for him.

Once again he came dashing, but threw a downward slash, wich I redirected with my weapon.

While I threw his sword in another direction, I put my feet behind his, getting in close range, and pushed him, using the hilt of my blade, throwing him to the ground. But before falling completely, he'd managed to take the chakram from his hip, and blocked my sword, before I put it over his neck.

He then threw the the bladed circle at me- and I caught it, not hurt, because of the gloves I wore. This gave him time to jump away and once again grab his bastard sword.

I threw his chakram back at him, thinking it was unfair that he fought with only one weapon- but to my surprise, instead of catching it, he sped towards me.

In my confusion, I couldn't react, and ended with a sword touching my neck

Again I had lost

Markus then said aloud

"Huh, maybe someone with more fighting skills should be on command..."