Amidst his surprise, the front-most drone, the implied leader of the group, moved forward slightly with a seamless, silent motion.
Then, a synthesized voice, metallic and devoid of emotion, sounded. It spoke in a series of different languages, cycling through complex, extinct, and then modern dialects.
"...Initiate binding sequence… identify primary controller… state native language…"
"B'Azzrak-Vyl'shaa… define master…"
"Commence operational protocol one… state self-identity for core synchronization…"
The drone ran through a rapid sequence of familiar languages, and then, Trosso's pupils contracted as he finally recognized a dialect: the familiar and unforgotten language, a language he had spent his entire previous life speaking.
The metallic voice settled, repeating the instruction in that familiar, grating rhythm: "Primary controller identification protocol initiated. State self-identity for core synchronization and operational binding."
Trosso's anxiety vanished, replaced by a huge sigh of relief. He was worried that these drones control would be a trouble, now it seems these drones were intelligent, capable of language recognition and adaptation. Also, Keon has installed previous life languages, which makes it easy for him to command and maintain secrecy.
"I am Trosso," he replied clearly in his native dialect of previous life, keeping his voice steady despite the adrenaline rush. "I am now your master. State your functions and specifications."
The drone paused for a fraction of a second, processing the new input.
"Primary Language Model Detected Successfully. Primary Controller: Trosso. Native Language: Main Language 03 Dialect. Name Of Drones: Rapid Deployment Incursion Unit. Objectives: Protection of Primary Controller, collection of environmental data, and Tier 3 strike capability deployment."
The lead drone moved forward again, a silent, almost imperceptible shift in the air.
Trosso watched, fascinated, as a small, rectangular panel slid out from the side central section of the drone's four-ring spindle. With a soft click, a thin, polished slate… a control tablet… ejected out toward him.
Trosso immediately stretched his arm and grabbed the slate with his sharp nails, the material cool and surprisingly light against his leathery four finger claw. It was constructed of the same dark, seamless alloy as the drones. The moment his fingers closed around the device, the matte surface of the screen flared to life. A single, stylized, gray 3D dodecahedron… the symbol of Keon's new design… flickered on the display, then settled into a constant, brilliant glow.
Simultaneously, the synthetic voice of the drone, speaking in the native dialect, sounded again, pitched now to a lower, more tutorial tone.
"Control Pad binding complete, Master Trosso. This tablet is the operational nexus for all ten Rapid Deployment Incursion Units. All units are now synchronized to your bio-signature. You can control and manage all ten units through this Control Pad. The screen will display the live, real-time operational status, energy levels, and surveillance feed for each drone. Furthermore, the pad is capable of projecting up to ten independent, full-spectrum holographic displays to show simultaneous live status and footage feeds from all deployed units."
Trosso stared at the tablet, his yellow pupils wide with awe. This wasn't just a communication device; it was a full command-and-control system, miniaturized and seamlessly integrated. The sophistication dwarfed any technology he had ever encountered in previous life.
He quickly navigated the simple, intuitive interface. A grid of ten thumbnail images instantly populated the screen, each labeled 'RDI-Unit 01' through 'RDI-Unit 10'. The status bars next to each one showed '100% Energy' and 'Status: Ready'. Below the grid was a clear, concise instruction set and a single button labeled 'Initiate Projection'.
"Initiate Projection," Trosso commanded aloud, testing the verbal interface.
The tablet hummed softly and ten small lenses ejected out, five from the upper and five from the lower section, and five meters above him, the narrow, confined space of the cave transformed.
Ten individual, high-resolution holographic displays projected in the air and then combined into one large projection, showing a real-time, three-dimensional geometric map of the immediate surroundings of the ten drones. The floor, the walls, and Trosso himself were rendered in a sharp, vibrant, trillion-pixel color, filtered through the URS Arrays of the floating units.
Trosso showed a surprise expression, seeing the projection showing real time footage of himself and ten drones. As if he could 'see' through the drones' eyes, perceiving the environment not as light and shadow, but as a complete, absolute map of sonic, thermal, and geographic data. He could even see the small movement of sand grains in the projection with the precision of a geological survey.
Trosso felt a profound, exhilarating shift in his situation. He was no longer a desperate fugitive trapped in a cave, hunted by a powerful Tier 3 mage. He was a commander, possessing a force that could perceive every threat before it was even a whisper.
He quickly issued his first command, a low, firm hiss directed at the closest drone.
"You go and scan the outside area of the cave… Find the sign of any high-level magic signatures. First locate the magician, but be sure to stay hidden, don't let these mages know your location."
The lead drone moved back a little, its movement so silent it was merely a geometric shift in the holographic projection. After a fractional pause, the synthetic voice, still maintaining the rhythm, responded.
"Command is detected and ready to Initiate. However, the term 'magic signature' is an unknown field designation. Core systems do not contain a reference metric for this classification of energy or entity detection. Please provide a sample of the magic energy source for immediate analysis and signature registration."
Trosso blinked, startled by the sudden request of the drone regarding magic signature. He hadn't expected this ultra-advanced technology to lack a fundamental understanding of the dominant magic energy source of his universe despite providing the magic materials and other magic item based trades with Keon.
'Is he just collecting these magic items and materials and not using them?' A brief flicker of confusion crossed his elongated face, but he quickly connected the dots: Keon's technology was from another universe, probably a science-based civilization, likely unfamiliar with the Ether Network.
He nodded slowly, turning from the floating drones to the meager stone shelf at the back of the cave. He walked a few paces, his lizard-like tail trailing across the damp floor, and picked up a handful of the remaining crystals… a mix of yellow, green and blue magic crystals.
"Here, scan these magic crystals… The magic energy I am talking about is contained within these stones," he said, holding the crystals up toward the nearest drone. "They are the concentrated essence of the magic energy. Scan them for energy content and establish the 'Magic Signature' baseline."
Before Trosso could offer the crystals for the physical scan, the lead drone's voice cut in, its tone sharp with synthetic finality.
"Scan complete, Master Trosso. Energy source and signature successfully identified and registered. Core analysis confirms a dense, previously unknown energy form. Current internal optimization pathway suggests that RDI Unit propulsion and weapon systems can be made compatible with this new energy source, utilizing it as a secondary, augmenting power supply."
The drone paused, the tension in the cave spiking as the lead unit continued its report, now directly addressing the weapon capability.
"Granting immediate permission for this internal optimization will improve the limited Tier 3 plasma strike capability of all ten RDI Units. Do you consent me to proceed with such optimization?"
Trosso's yellow pupils widened once more, this time in sheer awe. His jaw hung slightly ajar. These machines were not only incredibly stealthy and sensor-capable, but they could also adapt their foundational energy source on the fly.
"You mean… you can also do that? Can you add another source of energy beside the batteries? A magic energy crystal on top of that… Did I understand you correctly?" he asked, the surprise evident in the grating pitch of his voice.
…