Getting a Technology System in Modern Day

775  Complacency

"Unfortunately, no!" Aron responded calmly.

The Galvinith fighter’s expression betrayed a flash of surprise. To it, the emperor was already caged, with no means of escape—meaning Aron would rather face death than accept defeat.

“Looks like you have the Valthorin disease,” the Galvinith said, its tone laced with disdain. Despite its grotesque form, the viewers could sense its disgust at what it perceived as Aron’s misplaced pride.

“You made your choice,” the Galvinith continued, then immediately began to tighten the telekinetic field around Aron. As the field’s radius shrank, its pressure intensified, closing in with the intent to crush Aron and bring a swift end to the fight. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

……………

“Is everything about this only telekinesis?” Aron asked Nova, as the feedback from his shield indicated that the Galvinith fighter was increasing the pressure, pushing his mana expenditure no matter how minute higher with each second.

{No, he’s using two abilities at once, and you need to end this fast, sir,} Nova said. Her voice remained calm, yet there was a subtle edge of urgency—a clear indicator of the rising danger. Though the tone didn’t suggest an immediate crisis, it was enough for Aron to recognize the need to wrap up the fight quickly to prevent any uncontrolled escalation, a scenario he was keen to avoid.

Nova then displayed the broadcast footage for him, showing the live feed being transmitted to the Conclave and the empire. The forces around him were highlighted in different colors, providing a visual explanation to viewers and clarifying the interplay of power that Aron was up against.

The feed displayed basic labels overlaid on the colored fields, offering just enough explanation to give the viewers insight without fully disclosing the mechanics of the abilities. Aron could see he was caught between two forces compressing inward, labeled Telekinesis and Gravity. The second label alone made it clear why Nova urged him to finish the fight swiftly

Aron’s shield could easily handle the telekinetic force bearing down on him; his mana reserves were more than capable of countering pressure even on an unimaginable scale. The real threat, however, was the gravitational attack. If this gravity field were mana-based, his shield would nullify it without issue. But Aron understood that the Galvinith symbiots didn’t rely on mana for their abilities—they channeled energy directly from the user’s stamina. This distinction meant the gravitational force couldn’t be intercepted by his shield’s usual mana-based defense. While the shield currently resisted the field’s pull, Aron knew it was only a matter of time before the gravity grew intense enough to bypass his defenses entirely, closing in on the point where it would press down upon him directly.

“I understand,” Aron replied and without hesitation, he generated a new shield, initially setting it to an open mode that allowed unrestricted movement in and out. Swiftly, he expanded its reach, forming a massive barrier spanning a kilometer in each direction. Once established, he switched the shield to lockdown mode, sealing it completely and preventing anything from either entering or escaping.

……………

The Galvinith sensed something shift in the atmosphere, triggering an immediate state of alert. However, when nothing materialized and the sensation faded after a brief moment, it redirected its focus to the task at hand: crushing the emperor. Still, a sliver of its attention lingered on the source of that fleeting feeling, remaining vigilant for any sign of threat that might arise.

To the Galvinith's surprise, despite exerting the combined force of its telekinesis and gravity abilities—capable of crushing the exterior of a military ship, something it had successfully done before—the man before him maintained an expression that suggested he was unaffected by the onslaught. This led the Galvinith to wonder whether the emperor truly felt nothing, possessed the strength to withstand such pressure, or was merely putting on a façade to avoid embarrassment in front of his citizens.

So, it decided to double the intensity of its abilities, unconcerned about the toll on its stamina; unlike Aron, it had no subsequent fights to contend with, allowing it to unleash its full power without reservation.

However, just as it prepared to amplify its efforts, that small part of its mind, still alert for the source of its earlier unease, suddenly jolted it. As it scanned the area, its heart sank when it realized it was encased within a massive shield that had effectively severed its sensory range, limiting its awareness of everything inside the bubble.

Before it could react to the sudden shift in the situation, the Galvinith found itself propelled by an invisible force emanating from Aron’s location. The sheer speed of the push slammed its body against the outer layer of the shield, trapping it between two solid barriers and attempting to crush it.

Thanks to its mangled exoskeleton, which resisted the tremendous forces trying to compress it, the Galvinith managed to cling to consciousness, but only for a moment. Almost immediately, the pressure surged exponentially, shattering its shell and forcing its organs to spill out. However, before any of the fallen remains could drop far, they landed on another shield that had materialized to catch every drop of blood and organ, preserving the remnants of the Galvinith fighter’s body.

{Match over. Winner: Terran Empire, Aron Michael.} The AI referee's announcement echoed through the arena, reverberating with a finality that underscored the magnitude of the event. The Galvinith fighter, who had once seemed so powerful and confident, had perished before it could even comprehend what was happening to it.

…………

“I’ve become complacent and started treating this like a game,” Aron mused, his eyes fixed on the shield that contained the remnants of the Galvinith fighter. He realized that, without the immediate threat to his life or the looming specter of war, he had fallen back into his old habits of caution and overthinking. This tendency had led him into trouble before, as he often let things unfold instead of taking decisive action when he had the power to change the outcome.