After that we went our separate ways, Yorha to put the clothes away in her room’s closet and transfer the groceries from the bags to the fridge, and me to make myself presentable.
Next came the question of…
the damn multicooker!
It seemed like I’d screwed something up badly the first few times, and now everything burns in it!
Even an omelet, which Gennadiy knows how to make and which I’ve already made in it before, and it turned out fine — it seems I damaged the enamel of the multicooker’s bowl.
Or something like that.
Or maybe a bunch of small breakdowns piled up on each other?
Or maybe the problem was that a week and a half ago I shouldn’t have screamed “what the hell do you mean you can’t cook anything, you piece of junk!” and punched the thing?
No, unlikely, I was still a weakling back then, who in theory couldn’t have damaged anything with that punch…
except myself, yeah.
Hmm, maybe its “warranty period” had simply expired and it started to break down a little on its own?
Anyway, the point stands — I need a new multicooker, because when something I know how to cook a hundred percent, and have even made in it before, starts burning…
clearly something’s off, and it’s not with my cooking skills anymore.
For now we’ll choke down a slightly burnt omelet and some tasteless glop that was supposed to become paella but never did.
Then I needed to finish up with the advertising, since the ad work had been on standby this whole time since I’d stepped away to check on that noise.
Checked it…
damn it!
So, evening crept up unnoticed, and I decided to test 2B’s theory.
Or rather, she came herself and reminded me of it.
At first, purely as a test and warm-up, there were the exercise machines and general warm-up routine — nothing.
Expected.
Though it stings — they could’ve at least given a percent!
Then, the actual full-contact training itself.
And it turned out exactly as I suspected — Yorha is on a completely different level.
I got insanely lucky that Rhino only had that special forehead, and that Sledgehammer was clumsy.
Seriously!
Only now did I fully grasp what would have happened if he’d been a bit faster.
2B calmly took my attacks on blocks, and on top of that was unbelievably fast.
Seriously, I get that as an android from a hack-and-slash arcade-style setting she’s supposed to be fast with insane reactions, but she was literally scanning me and managing to react to every single movement.
That is, she could beat me clean on reaction speed alone.
But no, that wasn’t all — her own speed was far higher too.
One second she’s just blocked my attack, and the next I feel like I’ve been hit in the chest with a hammer, and generally I’m lying on the floor studying the basement ceiling.
Gotta redo the plaster there, by the way.
She had to lower her speed five times!
Ideally it should’ve been six, but I asked her to keep it a notch above mine…
I have a suspicion that assimilation goes faster if the sparring is difficult, and if the difficulty drops to an ordinary sparring match, the percentages might not move at all.
Good thing one of her modules let her lower that speed, and her combat capabilities in general.
Don’t know what that module’s for in her, but the fact remains.
And I haven’t even mentioned the android body’s own capabilities.
Taking a Jo-Lan Kick on a block and not even budging…
that breaks my whole model of the world.
And even though I know that in my hands that strike is nowhere near Axel’s power, I still literally heard some kind of crunch in my skull.
And when, in the heat of the moment…
I confess, yes…
I used the Jo-Lan Rusiken, she simply jumped over the shockwave…
and me too.
And mind you, that was a single jump — she should be able to do a double one.
Even Kagami’s got nothing on that.
Though, that move is worth remembering — with a basketball player’s talent and Jo-Lan fueling it, I ought to be able to replicate that single jump.
And when I slowly got up off the floor (well, more like sat up from a lying position) after a half-hour training session, refusing my usual mode of transport in 2B’s arms, tired and thoroughly beaten as I was — even though they’d worked with me as gently as possible, even that “gentle” was too much for me!
Ahem, anyway, unlike the depletion of life force, this time it remained inside me.
I should drain it before bed, by the way, and let Yorha carry me off to bed with a clean conscience — the reserve does need developing after all, and it’s doubtful that fully assimilating Axel will give me a huge boost in that department.
So let’s not leave it to chance and push it to the max.
In the end, once I got up and checked something, I rejoiced!
[ Axel Manning – 43% ] Forty-three percent!
From thirty-seven, in half an hour of beating…
ahem, training, I gained six percent!
And why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?
I could’ve raised however many percent this way and only then gotten into a real fight, if it even proved necessary at all.
Ugh, let’s be honest — it’ll prove necessary.
I can just feel that at some point even the harshest training won’t give anything more.
I think what’s needed next is a genuine enemy and a real sense of danger from combat — no matter how much it hurts here, I fully understand they can’t kill me even by accident.
But I’ll think about that when I hit the next assimilation wall…
No, seriously, why is this Axel guy so heavy?
Every single percent has to be fought for!
Still, it’s a shame I didn’t think of this myself sooner!
I can progress right now without putting my life in danger!
And all thanks to 2B!
“Ha-ha, it worked!
Your idea worked!
2B, you’re the best!” — once I fully grasped the situation I practically leapt up from my sitting position (on the floor), no doubt an adrenaline rush and a couple of other hormones hitting my brain from sheer joy, drowning out the pain in my body, and I bounded up to Yorha and tried to lift her up and spin her around…
didn’t work.
But without a moment’s thought about my own actions, running entirely on autopilot, I fed life energy into my body, distributing it evenly, after which I managed to lift her and even spin her a couple of times in a joyful embrace.
“Thank you!
Dinner’s on me tonight!” — after which she was carefully set back down, kissed on the cheek with absolutely no ulterior motive, more out of reflex really — the same way I always used to kiss my mother’s cheek when she gave me presents and I was happy.
After which I flew out of the basement and dashed to the kitchen, cutting off the flow of energy strengthening my body halfway there and…
nearly collapsed right there on the floor.
And the drain had been something fierce when I picked 2B up.
Even though I’m far from weak, I could only lift her while boosted, and it cost me quite a bit of energy to do it.
Either my efficiency is still garbage, or one miniature girl weighs noticeably more than I do.
Seriously, I can casually lug fifty kilos on any of the exercise machines.
Well, not entirely casually, there’s strain, but that’s a normal weight for me — and here I couldn’t even lift her.
And another thing!
Another thing!
I kissed a girl!
“Yay!” — my mood, frozen for a moment out of sheer disbelief, leapt to an even higher bar than before.
And this isn’t childish behavior at all!
I’m a teenager, I’m allowed!
Heh, and we’ve still got movie night ahead of us this evening too.
No, without a doubt, however disgusting, unlucky, and awkward the first half of the day turned out, the second half turned out just as excellent and wonderful!
There’s definitely karmic balance in my life!
2B.
Basement.
The android Yorha was experiencing strange, seemingly impossible feelings not meant for an android.
Doubts about her master’s sanity and a lack of understanding of his words.
“But I can’t be ‘the best,’ I’m not even fully ‘multi-purpose.’ Your statement was incorrect,” she said indifferently into the empty basement, since her master, having performed some incomprehensible action at the end, had simply left without waiting for 2B(‘s) own response.
After which her hand touched her own cheek on its own.
Incomprehensible, again.
More data needed, particularly a check of the processor and certain modules whose response had been the least clear just now.
The concept of emotions is known to 2B, but not applicable within this personality matrix.
Having made herself a series of notes, 2B headed upstairs out of the basement.
Lucian again.
After that, everything was wonderful.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
was in no hurry to appear on the horizon.
Training was in full swing, and advertising — or rather, working with it — brought in my first money, so now my wallet wasn’t just being emptied, but refilled too.
The prospect of realizing in a couple of years that I was flat broke didn’t appeal to me.
After all, what’s going on with the company is still unclear, and there’s nowhere else for deposits to come from.
And it seemed like everything was great…
aside from the multicooker, but that’s a minor thing.
Until December thirtieth arrived.
The last working day, and then another break of six whole days.
And the last day my assimilation percentage ticked up from training (getting beaten up) with 2B.
And it ticked up not six percent like before, but five, bringing the total to sixty and then freezing.
Ugh…
guess I’ll have to get myself into something after all.
Not that it’s been so hard for me lately.
“You may not.
First you should exhaust the less traumatic options for continuing your development,” Yorha reacted instantly the moment I voiced the situation.
“And do you have suggestions?” I asked with a hint of hope.
Yorha had already demonstrated her competence in such matters, along with her general logic and sharp thinking.
“Give me time until lunch, and I’ll draw up a list of possible options that would let you continue developing further.” Judging by the confident tone, she’d sort through every scrap of information five times over, but she’d find a way.
Fine, I’ll trust her again.
“All right.
I believe in you.
In the meantime I’ll get to work — wouldn’t want to screw up on the last working day of the year.
At lunch we’ll evaluate your options.
And if there’s nothing there, we’ll go back to what we already have,” I shrugged, trying to look confident and indifferent, but let’s be honest — the option of getting into trouble and mixing it up with someone genuinely scares me!
I’d gladly avoid it myself, given any other choice…
yeah, and right now I’m just shoving all the responsibility onto someone else.
Something along the lines of “well since you didn’t think of anything, I shouldn’t even bother trying.” Yeah.
On the one hand, it’s good that I can see and admit my own flaws, and on the other…
I need to fight myself on this.
Behavior like that is weakness!
And I need to root out all my weaknesses.
Because I no longer can, or want to, be helpless, or be cast in the role of the victim.
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There are chapters ahead.
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