Chapter 73: Dost's past

Huffing and puffing, Safo Nur and Dost sat outside of the arena where Yon and Kutch were battling each other to determine the winner. Safo lost with only 10 successful hits. After Yon’s kick, it was hard for him to concentrate on the match, the pain was a huge distraction. Soon he was equally beaten by Kutch, Yon, and Dost.

Second to be knocked out from the competition was Dost, with 63 hits. Despite him having a practically indestructible metal alloy body, he lacked the knowledge of martial arts. In hand-to-hand combat, Dost was no better than a common soldier in the Empire army.

Yon who earned an Exceptional Status from the Empire had an upper hand against mighty Kutch. 165 VS 143, Yon and Kutch respectively. Yon currently had 12 points left while Kutch had 7 points left.

Jumping around, dodging Kutch’s blows Yon simultaneously threw his punches and kicks whenever he saw an opening. Exhausted Kutch became sloppier and slower and very soon the match was over with Yon’s victory. His final kick to the temple made Kutch rest on the mat for a while.

Safo applauded both combatants for their picturesque battle. Once more he learned a lot. In the battle time, Safo tried to execute the Bait but couldn't perform it with the current opponents. They were just too skillful. Which led to the modifications of the technique.

Safo understood the true intentions of Miloud. It wasn’t to teach Safo Nur a new killer technique, Safo needed to learn to see the opening in the opponent's defense. If he could control the path of the punch he had an opportunity to control his opponent which in its turn could change the tides of the battle.

"Safo... one second..." Kutch needed time to catch his breath. "What was back there? I can understand the strength that you put into your punches, first course, and everything. But how did you dodge so many times?" All three of Safo's opponents noticed the change but had no time to ask about it.

Safo told them the story of the banana. How one small plant consumed other organic creatures and became the Green Lord. And how he gathered brain nutrition for a thousand years to create his perfect offspring. And how Safo Nur just ate it in a second.

"That is why Captain Shinir was so pissed?! I can't quite point out whether you are extremely lucky or unlucky." Kutch voiced the thought of the rest.

After a good rest and lunch, they repeated the match of four champions to satisfy Safo's plea.

By the end of the day and 5 more matches, Safo took third place, kicking out Dost from the match.

His practice of the Bait reached new progress, Safo could "bait" his face or other convenient body part and use the punch of the opponent to move to the side and launch a series of hits. In that manner, he railed his enemies.

At "night time" which was fixed by clocks, there was no day or night in space, Safo played a game with Luna and Achraf. They continued earning Exp. Safo almost reached level 9. Miloud was still nowhere to see.

By the next day, Safo wanted to know his team better and asked Dost to have a chat with him. For the request to tell about himself Dost gave an unexpected reply.

"I'm glad to tell you about me, but unfortunately I cannot tell you many aspects of my life due to me being bound with people about whom I can't speak. I just hope that you understand me."

"You mean people like the Emperor?" Safo knew that Psios served the Emperor, from Kutch. He understood that Dost couldn't or didn't want to reveal the secrets of the Empire.

Dost nodded. "Yes, if the topic of our discussion will touch other people I won't be able to tell the story to its full extent. If it is fine, you shall ask questions."

It was the first time since Safo and Dost sat to talk, just the two of them. Safo knew from Kutch's words that the entire Psios race was annihilated by the virus and that only 25 individuals survived.

"Do you remember those times, the times of viruses I mean?" Hesitantly Safo asked his question. He was curious but didn't want to scratch the old scars.

Dost was quiet for a moment recalling the events of the long past. "I do. I remember my parents, my sister, friends, and many others..." Again silence.

Safo couldn't imagine what Dost went through, he lost almost everyone to the virus. Safo remembered his parents, his beloved girlfriend, his coworker Haddar Nana. Pain in his chest made him remember the potential threat to their well-being. The planet Earth belonged to somebody and that somebody could do whatever came to its perverted mind.

"What happened? How did that happen? It is okay if it is too much for you, we can skip the question." Safo asked as respectfully as he could.

"It is fine, it was over sixty thousand years ago from now. I was 5 years old at the time, technically Psios do not age so I count myself as 5 years old." Dost cracked a joke to ease the tension, after all the subject of the discussion was about the death of billions.

Dost told that approximately sixty thousand years ago the Magister of the Rulers, who discovered the way to survive the virus, gathered the remaining psios together in one room. There he took the blood of each person and ordered them to sleep. When they woke up, a little over eight hundred years later, they found out that they lost their bodies and were unable to return to the living organism.

With Dost and his high hierarchy family including there were two hundred VIP people in the room upon entering. And only 25, with the Magister among them, came out as immortal souls with different resources.

Nobody dared to ask the Magister what he did. Not one of the members of the new race Psios talked about that day with each other. The rest of the Rulers race were all dead from the merciless virus.

After contemplating his question for a while Safo asked. "If only 25 of Psios left, and all of them are in the Empire, why did you leave?"

"It was a difficult decision but I asked the Emperor's permission. It was war with Psior that changed me. Did Kutch or O'rmon tell you why I serve them? And why do they hate me?" Dost's voice sounded lower as if he didn't want to get in trouble.

"They don't hate you but no they did not. I always wondered why one of the 25 Psios decided to help two Psiora?"

"It is because I don't have two resources, none of the Psios has. We only possess one stronger ability. My main ability is to lock things, as you already know." Dost paused to give thought if he could talk about the subject he was about to talk about.

Safo meanwhile was shocked, he was sure that Dost had two resources. "Where did your force field come from then?"

"They are in your team so I guess I can tell you. The White Shield is the resource of O'rmon's and Kutch's father." Dost wasn't proud of himself. Safo was shocked. Luna was shocked inside Safo.

"In times of war, both sides will try to come up with the most bizarre weapons, only to achieve the sweet victory. The Empire is not the exception. My colleagues invented a way to create a new better vessel for ourselves.

24 androids with the best alloy that existed in the universe, were reinforced by psios ability. My friend and I were responsible for taking out the souls of Psiora, from their dying bodies, and locking them inside of the android. In the end, we received a body with two abilities. We won the war but the cost was our souls and sanity for some of us. I lost my inner peace for doing such cruel things.

I unlocked some of the memories of the man that was sealed in my android. The person was long gone but some happy memories were still in his grey soul. From there I saw O'rmon and Kutch. It took me many years to gather my courage to confess my crimes to the children of the person I killed. I promised to serve them until they forgive and free me." By the end of his story Dost completely withered, his past haunted him to that day.

Luna had finally understood Kutch's mean remarks and harsh words towards Dost, she was sad. Safo just accepted the truth.

"You said 24 androids. What about the last one? Refused?" Safo's mind started to work a bit differently, his perception had been a bit deeper. He could understand many things without asking them, especially emotions, it was his ability even before the LCD banana. Thus he asked only important questions.

"I can't tell that."

The firm decline of the question startled Safo. The rest of his questions were all left without an answer. "What can other psios do? Is the Magister within the Empire? What did Magistor do that day?"

"Is it possible to kill Psios?"

"Yes, it is."