The Bounty Hunter
Chapter 92: Ignition

September 6th, 2089

I am standing alone in the empty expanse of a wide, rolling prairie.  The sky above me is a cloudy grey, and there’s a bit of a nip in the air that indicates autumn’s approach.  The reason why I am in a desolate stretch of Wyoming on my first weekend break from school is because it is finally time to power up the automaton.  I wisely foresaw that doing an extremely volatile activation ritual in a small bedroom apartment would be risky, hence my current location.  There’s nothing to destroy and no one around to see anything.

Hikari is spending time with her parents, and Kira and Veronica are working on their first homework assignments so none of them could come.  It’s for the best, since I don’t know what safety precautions I should take.   Artificer Steale’s journal lists the proposed plan for the ritual, but it was only about 90% complete.  He died before he could finish hammering out the details, so I’ve been forced to fill in the remaining blanks myself.

The body of the automaton is lying in the center of a large, intricate magic circle I made based on the rough sketches in Artificer Steale’s journal.  I added my own touches, which resulted in the circle looking like it was cut from a circuit board with occult undertones.  This magic circle has several important functions.  Firstly, it will program the initial desired personality, values, and knowledge, allowing the automaton to have a sense of self and the mindset of an adult. Secondly, it will mold the artificial build of the body into something much more lifelike.  Lastly, it will jumpstart the mana pump heart, allowing the automaton to activate.  If everything goes right, the automaton should be almost exactly like a human. 

Originally, I was building this automaton to see if I could and to have another person I could assign to guard those who are precious to me.  With the involvement of Dante and Pandemonium, my priorities changed.  I won’t be able to hunt him down and go to school at the same time.  So, I plan for this automaton to do it instead.  I’ll give it a teleportation marker, and when it finds Dante I’ll teleport to it along with Rin.  The automaton and Rin can then take care of the lackeys while I engage Dante.

I finished the last of my preparations and decided to start.  I walked over to the automaton, stopping in the middle of a small, jagged circle that would be my position for the duration of the ritual.  I looked at the body of the automaton one last time to ensure everything was ready.  The focus of several months of effort for me and a lifetime’s work from Artificer Steale lied on the prairie grass unmoving.  To say it looked like a large doll would not do it justice.  A more apt description would be that it was like a sculpture of metal.  I decided to honor Artificer Steale’s efforts by keeping the appearance and the personality that he had desired for it to have. 

The hair, which was made from fine strands of a corroded red heart’s iron and white gold alloy, was a light maroon color and was cut in a wavy asymmetrical bob style with the right side nearly reaching her chin while the other was kept short.  The face was angular and had prominent cheekbones that went well with the delicate nose and full, red cupid’s bow lips.  The skin was a pale white tinged with pink, made from an 80:20 ratio white orichalcium to blood ore alloy.  The body was an even 5 foot 10 inches tall with a willowy figure and a respectably sized bosom.

I didn’t notice anything wrong, so I took a knife and cut my wrist to release a spray of blood that manifested itself into a miniaturized version of the magic circle directly above the heart of the automaton.  The miraculous spark known as life cannot be created by mere magic (that I know of), but the spark can be shared.  That’s what my blood was for, to give the automaton the spark of life that will grow into a full flame by naturally drawing in a soul from the cycle of reincarnation.  This step in the ritual will alter the automaton in ways that vary depending on the one whose blood was given.

The blood circle slowly descended towards the automaton as the magic circle was pulsating with my supplied mana.  The pulsation then stopped and the magic circle started glowing steadily as I managed to tap into the ley-line beneath it.  The blood circle at this point was lying on the skin above the heart, and it was now pulsating like the larger magic circle had been doing before.  The softest “thump” was heard as it pulsated, reminiscent of a heartbeat.  The blood circle then proceeded to sink through the skin of the automaton.  The thumping grew louder as the light from the blood circle faded.

“Thump.  Thump.  Thump.”  The body was visibly shaking with each pseudo heartbeat.  The magic circle surrounding the body restarted its pulsating from early, keeping in time with the heartbeat.  “Thump.  Thump.  Thump.”  With each beat, part of the magic circle vanished and the light got stronger.  I looked at the body, which started looking softer and more human as more of the magic circle vanished.  “Thump.  Thump.  Thump.”  At this point, the only remaining part of the circle was where I was standing and where the body was.

It’s time for the last part of the ritual, one that I’m highly skeptical about, but one that the Artificer claimed was “absolutely vital”.  The circle beneath my feet faded, leaving just the center beneath the body.  It was shining so strongly that I had to squint.  “Thump.  Thump.  Thump.”  The body of the automaton was now indistinguishable from a normal person.  The hard edges and shine of metal covering had transformed into soft skin.  The stiff, dull strands of hair became silky and glossy.

I leaned over the automaton, cleared my throat, and prepared to say the incantation for the final part of the ritual.  It will finish the activation and grant it a name to cement its sense of self.  “WAKE UP IRENE!!!!”  I bellowed at full strength in the ear of the automaton.  The strength of my shout actually caused a small gale in the vicinity.  The last portion of the magic circle went off like a flash bang, sending me flying a short distance.  To clarify, it wasn’t the magic circle detonating that sent me flying.  That was supposed to happen.  What sent me flying was the fist of the automaton as she reacted to my wake-up call.

Had I been a normal human, I would have died.  However, I am someone who could now tank a missile strike if necessary.  I stood up, idly rubbing the spot where I was struck.  It was a nice, strong strike.  Good.  A clarion voice interrupted my musings “Are you my master?”

I turned to the automaton, no, to Irene and responded “I suppose so.”  Irene’s smoky grey eyes stood out against her pale, pink-tinged skin and light maroon hair as they looked over me.  I could faintly hear the sounds of clanking gears and the hiss of steam within her body as I waited for her response. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴøᴠel Fɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“You’re a damn disappointment.”  Her words made me nearly fall over in surprise.  “What makes you think that?!” I asked in confusion.  “I would expect my master to be strong, tough and bold as hell.  Not some pussy, punk-ass bitch that got sent flying by one punch to the jaw.  You can’t even tell me you’re my boss properly.”  She crossed her arms across her breasts, drawing attention to the fact that she was still naked.  I couldn’t help but blush slightly at the sight.

The lovely automaton snorted at my reaction.  “What?  Have you never seen a girl’s cunt before?  Or is it the knockers?  Fucking virgins, I swear.”  She dramatically threw her hands up to the sky as she beseeched some unknown deity “Why have I been cursed with this pathetic bastard?  What did I do in a past life? What did I—”  A girl’s outfit consisting of a tank-top, capris and the necessary underwear hit her in the face, interrupting her questions.  “Put those on, and prepared to become the first girl I’ve fucked over to not have enjoyed it.”  I said coldly.  I did not put in all those resources, time, and effort just for this asshole.  I wasn’t expecting a servant or anything of the sort, but I at least wanted someone I could get along with.  Irene’s response to my threat was a feral smile “Hoh, looks like the bitch has some bark after all.” as she dressed herself.

We both got into ready stances, waiting for someone to move first.  Irene had inexplicably picked up a stone from the ground and held it in her hand.  “I knew you were a pussy.  Waiting for the girl to move first, grow some balls already jackass.”  Irene taunted.  Why is this beauty so damn crude?  I know I swear a lot in my thoughts, but with this girl it’s like she doesn’t believe in having a filter between her mind and her mouth.  I kicked at the ground, gouging a large furrow in the earth, and sending an impressive amount of dirt and stone towards Irene.  She tightened her grip on the rock in her hand and said “Optimize.”  Lines of light appeared on the rock as she side-armed it towards the wave of earth.  The stone rocketed forward like there was no air resistance and pierced through the wave easily on its way towards my head.

I stood unmoving, curious as to what exactly she did to the rock.  Automaton use mana to power themselves, but they are not inherently able to use magic.  Artificer Steale did note that depending on the potency of the blood used to activate them, the automaton may gain an additional functional capability.  My blood is certainly potent, so let’s see what this is.  The rock collided with my forehead with a weight and velocity that should not have been possible with just Irene’s normal specifications.  Automaton can develop and improve just like living beings, but right now she’s still at the initial specifications I had made.  Nevertheless, I neither flinched nor faltered at the impact.  I was not holding back against this girl who so accurately pushed my buttons.

Irene, who had dodged my attack after launching her own, lunged towards me to engage in close combat.  She had that feral grin on again and a manic gleam in her eye that I’ve seen before on various battle junkies I’ve fought.  Nope, not gonna draw this fight out.  I intercepted Irene mid-step with a punch to the gut, causing her body to curve like the letter C as she was sent flying across the prairie.

Her flight was cut short however, when I moved ahead of her path and clotheslined her into the ground.  Irene landed unconscious flat on her back, showcasing some major dents and a couple of rents in her skin.  I could see her clockwork musculature ticking away, and wisps of steam could be seen leaking out.  A jigsaw pattern of lights, indicating the magic circuits, appeared across her body and slowly mended her injuries.

With her reboot complete, Irene opened her eyes to my cold visage as I stood over her.  Contrary to my expectations of her being mad or defiant, a huge smile crossed her face.  She jumped up spryly and then tackle hugged me.  I was knocked over by the display of affection since she was far heavier than she looked.  “That was fucking amazing!  Oh, it’s such a relief to know my boss isn’t a wimp!” she gushed.

…Huh?  What happened to the jerk that picked a fight with me?  “So, you were being confrontational to test me?”  I asked.  “The dumb fuck finally puts it together.  Yes, I evaluated you to see what needed to be optimized.  My boss won’t be second best to anyone!”  she exclaimed.  “Optimized?” I questioned.  She nodded “Yep.  According to the self-diagnostic test that I ran, your blood and all these top tier materials you used resulted in my magic circuits humming with more mana than I need to maintain peak performance.  I can’t use magic, but I can use the excess mana and my processing capabilities to improve the function of anything I touch.  I call it optimization, and it’s fuckin’ incredible!”  Irene gave a smirk as she continued while flicking her pinkie suggestively “So, if you ever have ‘performance’ issues, I can optimize that too.”

I sighed at her actions, but decided to ask one last question.  “What would you have done had I just been a weak loser?”  I need to know the extent of her loyalty.  I can make do if she’s only following me because of my strength, but I’d rather have someone I can eventually trust.  “I’d have beaten your punk-ass into shape.”  Irene turned her head away as she muttered one last line softly “You’re my creator after all.  I’d never abandon you.” 

Is that a hint of red on her cheeks?  I foolishly decided to try and tease her about it “Aww, so you can be cute after all.”  WHAM!  A fist met my face and buried me into the dirt.  “YOU MAY BE THE BOSS, BUT I’LL STILL BEAT YOUR ASS IF YOU GET TOO CHEEKY WITH ME!  I’M SEXY AND COOL, NOT CUTE DAMNIT!!!”

Artificer Steale, I’m not sure about your preferences if this was the programmed personality you came up with.

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