novelraw Chapter 997: The Shape of Humanity
Chapter 997: The Shape of Humanity
Sure, they would. And up until Jax avoided the first swing, he had still been of that mind.
However, when the pole behind him bent even after he had cleanly evaded the punch thrown his way, the redhead realized that bending would go both ways.
"!!!"
He couldn’t even blink twice at that.
Shit.
They don’t even need to connect with anything to deal damage!
What bionic?!
He knew he wasn’t the smartest tool in their shed, but if this was what counted as simply "bionic," then his children might as well grow on ice!
Because surely, there was nothing simple about that.
The distance between them opened again as both fighters naturally separated, their movements light but deliberate as they reset.
Jax watched as his female opponent planted her feet wide, firm, and grounded.
A proper fighting stance.
Her posture lowered slightly, weight balanced, shoulders loose but ready, as her gaze locked onto Jax with unmistakable confidence.
He could honestly ignore the smirk she had on her face, but maybe not what followed.
For with a slow tilt of her chin, she lifted her hand and curled her fingers inward.
A clear, deliberate come-hither motion.
Come.
That was likely her form of intimidation. And it actually worked on the spectators who held their breath as they watched.
But who was Jackson Taylor before his farming era?
Before the dawn of his lovely children, before he pranced around in his overalls and tracked soil all over with a huge smile on his face, he’d actually been referred to as something else.
A battle maniac.
The battle maniac.
And today, it seemed like he had encountered people who could take what he could give.
So much to everyone’s surprise, his eyes glinted right before he flew.
__
BOOM!
In the expansive training arena of the Imperial Palace, the space stretched wide like a battlefield the size of a miniature city. Platforms floated at different heights, rings hovered in place, and sections of the ground shifted as if the arena itself could change at any moment. A faint barrier shimmered along the edges, while the ceiling above looked like an artificial sky.
Luca’s eyes widened as he watched the air distort—
—then burst apart.
A sharp crack echoed as a formation tore through the air, leaving visible shockwaves behind. The sonic boom followed a second later, hitting the arena hard enough to make the platforms tremble.
Wow.
As his eyes absorbed everything from his post as goalkeeper, he couldn’t help but think about their last discussions before entering the main arena.
Apparently, calling them "bionic" was actually inaccurate. Archaic, even.
Because, in truth, the people of the Federation had long moved beyond just being bionic to fully utilizing cybernetic technology.
The curious returnee remembered being beaten by Ada in asking what the major difference was, and Kyle had attempted to explain what they were talking about.
"Think prosthetics, replacement organs, or any alternative hardware that’s attached to the body but isn’t really connected to the brain. That was the concept behind something being bionic."
As with most technology, bionic people from the past came into existence as a result of finding solutions to the ailments of the humans ravaged by war.
"It was back when the medical technology we have today hadn’t been as widely available, and humans were still finding ways to deal with a massive number of casualties."
"There had been a real need for the technology, and its purpose had been clear: the improvement of the quality of life of the people in need."
"But eventually, as medical innovations caught up, some didn’t stop with corrections and repairs but went as far as alterations solely for enhancements."
"For example, from finding ways to make mechanical eyes feel as natural as possible, certain groups of people would push for the removal of healthy ones so they could be replaced with a cybernetic eye that could see in the dark or detect thermal radiation."
Luca momentarily remembered Specimen 401 and how the people from back in Tesseris had been attempting to create vessels while trying to retain the human characteristics of a body.
But here, the people who ended up forming the Federation believed that, with the technology available, humans should aim to move forward by improving themselves.
"The ideology sounded progressive, hearing it like that, but that actually translated to thousands, if not more, of humans being rounded up for illegal experimentation."
"What?!"
"Remember the known story behind the defection of elites from the Empire?" Xavier asked this time.
Luca thought about their centralized general knowledge exams and nodded earnestly.
"Well, aside from claiming differences in agenda and goals, it was mostly because the proponents and supporters of the cybernetic industry detested the limitations imposed by the Empire."
"According to them, the human race would only reach unprecedented heights through cybernetic modification."
Oh.
"So... the truth was that they actually ran away because they wanted to turn themselves into cyborgs?" Ollie interjected, brows furrowing.
Kyle ruffled his mop’s hair before answering, "More like they waged a war for it. After all, why wouldn’t they be confident in the face of mostly regular humans?"
"Especially when they were formidable enough before even using their spiritual abilities?"
Yes, apparently, modifications even included ways to improve the use of spiritual energy.
The moment they mentioned it in passing, the curious licensed mechanic couldn’t help but want to witness just how that would even work.
But now that he was seeing it for himself, it seemed like his husband and Kyle weren’t kidding.
Because as Luca snapped back to the present, the distinction became painfully clear.
Wind tunnels kept forming across the arena, spiraling violently as figures shot through them like living weapons. Their movements weren’t just fast—they were calculated, mechanically precise, every shift of limb producing controlled bursts of acceleration that tore through the air.
One fighter twisted mid-flight, their arm splitting open just enough to reveal a glowing internal structure before releasing a compressed blast that detonated against a floating platform.
Another didn’t even land. They hovered.
No thrusters.
No visible support.
Just a faint hum beneath their skin as their body adjusted position in the air like gravity had become optional.
Luca clenched his fist instinctively.
"...They’re not even using spiritual energy yet," he muttered under his breath.
This was simply their baseline.
Raw physical capability was enhanced to the point that Luca thought of them as tiny mechas.
And as another sonic crack rang out—louder this time, closer—it was impossible for the observing Sid to ignore the little master’s inner feelings.
Me! Me! I also want to try!
What would it feel like to hit a cyborg?!
"..."
"..."