(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 107

Chapter 107: sparing with the bot Chapter 107: sparing with the bot Kellen dropped into his stretches, and if by instinct, Gwen followed along.

She made a face as she flowed into the next stretch, following Kellen easily.  “I didn’t realise you kept doing what Mom suggested.” She told him as they both moved into another stretch from memory.

The reason why they were able to flow from stretch to another was because when they were younger, their Mom had done them to music.

Even now, without the music, it was instinctual, as if they could still hear the music.

“They’re good stretches, and do exactly what I need them to.

Plus, I don’t have to think about it.

Mom drilled them into us so it’s just muscle memory now.” Kellen said, while Gwen made a disgusted face as she continued to follow along almost without her own control.  “I haven’t done them out of rebellion, but clearly there was no point.

I haven’t forgotten them at all.” Kellen laughed at her tone, while Gunther had turned away from them to speak with a few of the recruits around him.  “Mom would be happy to know that you still know them.” Kellen told his sister, as they finished their warm up and she sighed heavily.  “Only you would say that.

You’re her favourite.” She protested, and Kellen reached out, ruffling her hair much to her displeasure.  “I’m only the favourite because someone else was a big baby when they were young and spent more time with Dad.” Her face flushed as Kellen grinned down at her.

“Awe, embarrassed?

Cute.” She swiped at his hand, and he laughed, moving away from her.

“Alright, I think I’m ready.

Gunther, are you ready?” Kellen asked.  Gunther, who had been chatting to a few of the other Espers, turned with a grin on his face.

“I’ll be nice to you, Kellen, and I’ll remove half of the water.

But I’m keeping half since your family is prejudiced against elemental Espers.” Kellen laughed, looking over Gunther’s grinning face.

It was nice to see him back to his normal self.  “Come on, it’s only because I’m not compatible with them.

Don’t take it personally, Gunther.

You’re great.” Kellen gave him a thumbs up, while Gunther put on a good, fake, angry face.  “That’s not what it sounded like in your apartment.” He grumbled and Kellen laughed.  “Awe, don’t take my parent’s teasing personally.

That just means that they like you.” Gwen nodded, giving a thumbs up behind Kellen.

Gunther sighed, before his eyes glowed a deep, unending blue and he waved his hand, doing as he promised.

Half of the water from the arena disappeared.

Kellen gave the appropriate ‘ooo’ in acknowledgement.

Gunther groaned.  “Enough, Kellen.

It sounds condescending when you do it.” Kellen shrugged, turning his attention to the training bot.  It wasn’t a classic robot in any sense, since it ran on magical cores from the gates.

Gunther probably had the controller on him, which was why it hadn’t been moving the whole time we were talking.  “Once I turn it on, you will have to last 3 minutes at each level.

The eyes will flicker twice to notify you of the level change.

If you think you can’t handle it, raise your hand and I will stop it.” Gunther told the Field Guide, who nodded.  Kellen entered the sparring arena, being careful, for now, not to step in any of the puddles.

It’d be too soon if his footing was the reason he couldn’t get to at least A Class, so he knew he had to lead the bot towards the drier areas as soon as possible.

He knew the first few levels were going to be easy, a warm up, but once they got to C Class, that was where things were going to get interesting.  “I’m ready Gunther.” Kellen told him, as he stared at the bot.

It looked like a carved wooden doll, like a marionette doll from the olden days.

No features, besides deep set eyes that were either black, because it was turned off, or red, because it was turned on.

The eyes turned on, and Kellen knew, it had begun.  The bot moved towards Kellen, quickly for a regular human, but slower then Kellen anticipated.

They must have started this training at F Class.

Kellen would have thought they would have started it at a higher Class, but, these baby Espers probably needed experience with all Class types.

In gates, if you underestimated anything, you were dead.  They exchanged a few bows before the three minutes were up, and the eyes blinked, and the movements sped up.

They were already at E Class.

Moving like this felt effortless, and he found himself slowly beginning to enjoy himself.  The next three minutes passed quickly, and the eyes blinked again before the movements sped up again.

Kellen was starting to sweat now, and knowing that the bot would follow him now, he began to lead it towards the drier part of the arena.

It did follow, and Kellen could hear Gunther laugh at him behind him.

Kellen paid him no mind.  Focused, he kept moving until only half of the arena around them was the wet, puddled area.

Then, the bot’s eyes blinked again and they were finally at C Class.  The jump between D and C Class was huge, since C Class was when people started gaining followers if they contributed enough to the Esper or Guide world.

It also meant that the bots jump in movement and intelligence was huge.  Where before, Kellen kind of had to goad it into movement, now the bot was actively moving, forcing attacks, pushing Kellen.

It was trying to corner Kellen with its newfound intelligence, but Kellen wasn’t making it easy for it.  He was now sweating, and needed to put his whole focus into the fight.

He wasn’t going to be stronger than the bot when it hit B Class, but he was hoping it wasn’t by much, giving his jump in powers, and his training.

He wasn’t sure, since he hadn’t actually sparred against someone until now.

It would be a good test.  Flashing eyes signified the next jump, and Kellen had to drop to the ground as the bot swung out.

Rolling, Kellen avoided its next hit before bouncing to his feet, a feral grin on his face.  Oh yeah, this was fun.  Kellen briefly thought that he’d need to request this from Gunther for Brent.

He’d love this.  The B Class bot was quick, intelligent, and not aiming for his vitals, but aiming to incapacitate.

Kellen was having the time of his life and he fought.

That was when the eyes flashed again.  The A Class bot was holding nothing back.

He had to stop useless thoughts, and just go by instinct.

If the bot’s face could have changed, Kellen would have thought its expression got meaner.

It clearly wanted to lead Kellen towards the puddles, wanting him to slip and fall so it could get the upper hand.

It took everything in Kellen to keep himself on the drier side of the arena, even taking a few hits that knocked the air out of his lungs in the process.

Kellen felt that the others behind him were reacting to the fight, but Kellen couldn’t hear them.

He was too focused on the fight in front of him.  The three minutes dragged on this time, and felt like hours when fighting a bot at this level.

But when the eyes flashed again, Kellen almost wanted to give up on principle.  He had a flashback to when Hill and the Captain had fought here before, and how Kellen couldn’t even see their movements.

He prayed, as he didn’t raise his hand, that the S Class they had modeled this bot after wasn’t the Captain.

The first hit knocked the air out of him and he went flying across the arena, sliding across puddles and dirt.  He had seconds to get up before the bot was on him again.

He dodged the second attack, rolling across the ground while the force of its hits on the ground radiated power.

Reaching out a hand, Kellen yanked on its ankle, knocking it down long enough that Kellen had a second lead to make a break for the drier area.  It was already chasing Kellen.

It took everything in Kellen to dodge their attacks, but he was still missing a few, taking hits left and right.

He wasn’t trying to predict their movement, only survive.  Kellen’s mind slipped for one second as his foot slipped out from underneath him and he heard Gwen calling his name as the bot wrapped their hands around Kellen’s throat, raising him up off the ground.

His vision started to narrow as oxygen couldn’t get to his brain.

It was getting harder and harder to breathe until the bot stopped moving, stopped squeezing his throat.  Suddenly, there were several pairs of hands, pulling the bot’s hands from his throat.

Kellen sucked in a deep breath, his vision clearing slowly.

CREATORS’ THOUGHTS CalyB The training bots are very interesting, and no, this one wasn’t based off of the Captain’s level.

If it was, a lot more people would have been injured.