Winter of 345, A.D.
“Albert?”
“Come in. It’s unlocked.”
Unlike most of the sector’s inhabitants, Albert had never moved. He had lived at number 21, Rockwood Street for as long as Kai could remember. When Ariel asked him why, he simply said it was halfway between the museum and the library—convenient for historians.
When Ariel was named his successor, she began trying out different houses on the same street. It was too far from the central square for Kai’s liking, but he had to admit the facade’s architecture was tasteful. The trees lining the road gave it charm, especially in autumn.
Inside, Albert’s home was just like its location—something between a library and a museum. Books were stacked so high they formed a maze. The only clear spaces were reserved for paintings and artifacts.
Kai doubted even Daisy’s cyberbugs could dust everything properly. He briefly wondered if Albert had set up his own trial—a test for Daisy’s drones—or if the chaos was simply a byproduct of his love for history.
Eventually, Kai found him lying in bed, writing in a notebook.
“Kai, my boy! Thank you for the visit.”
“I brought you soup. Trudy told us you were sick.”
“Oh, aren’t you sweet? Please, make yourself at home.”
“How are you feeling?”
Albert scoffed. “Bah! For all the progress humanity has made—” He stopped mid-thought.
Kai frowned. “Albert?”
The old historian blinked, his expression distant. “Oh, sorry. I just realized… humanity hasn’t progressed at all since Daisy arrived, has it? It’s only deteriorated. Maybe only Daisy has progressed.”
Albert exhaled and gave a small, tired smile. “Regardless of whether we or Daisy have made progress, the cure to the flu is still out of reach. Ironic, isn’t it?”
“I guess.” Kai handed him the flask of soup. “Careful, it’s hot.”
“Thank you.”
Kai watched as Albert took a sip, then eyed the open notebook in his lap. “What are you writing?”
“Oh, just some thoughts on past trials.” Albert caught his uncertain look. “What’s on your mind, lad?”
Kai hesitated, then gestured at the towering stacks of books. “I was just wondering… why are you so fixated on all this?”
“You mean history?”
“Yeah.”
Albert closed his notebook and thought for a moment. Kai waited, expecting something profound—some wise revelation from the sector’s historian.
After a long pause, Albert blinked and looked at Kai, surprised. “What was the question again?”
Kai sighed. “Why are you so obsessed with the past?!”
“Oh, that. Well… for centuries, deep thinkers have debated creativity. Originality. Innovation. What do they even mean? Can a person create something truly new?”
Kai tilted his head. “I don’t see how that answers my question.”
“I’m getting there.” Albert waved a hand. “Some say humans can. Others say they can’t. Take the Greek myth of the minotaur. It’s just half a man, half a bull. Was that creative? Or was it just two familiar things put together?”
Kai shrugged. “I guess…”
“Now, when it comes to AI, the debate shifts. Can an AI be creative?”
Kai frowned. “It processes data and derives from it.”
“Exactly.” Albert tapped his temple. “It doesn’t think beyond what it knows. It pulls from the past and reshapes it. That’s why understanding history matters. If we know what it’s learning from, we can predict how it thinks.”
Kai’s eyes widened. Albert wasn’t just obsessed with the past—he was studying the future. Just from a different angle. “That’s why we have the museum…”
Albert nodded. “Precisely. Ever notice how some trials feel eerily similar? The #82 and #131 exams, for example, were almost the same.”
Kai’s mind started connecting the dots. Patterns. Repetition. He had never paid attention before, but now that Albert had pointed it out, he could see it.
“Pass me my jacket, would you?” Albert asked.
Kai grabbed it and handed it over. Albert dug through the pocket, pulled out a keychain, and tossed it to him.
Kai caught it. “What’s this?”
“A copy of the museum keys. Turn the lights off when you leave.”
Kai smirked. “Get better soon, Albert. I’m looking forward to our next class.”
As he left, Albert finally let out the heavy cough he’d been holding back. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood from his lips.
*
353rd Daisy Trials, Round of 256.
Kai quickly ran the numbers in his mind. He had ten tries left and fifty minutes on the clock. This mine could give him an edge over his opponent—if they hadn’t found it yet.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the camera and started snapping shots. His plan was to photograph one of everything. He didn’t know how much variety mattered in this exam, but the more cards he discovered, the more recipes he could make on the crafting table.
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He framed one of the lamps and took a picture.
Capture successful!
Tries left: 9 of 20.
Gaslamp ?? (Uncommon)
1 of 3
HP: 2
VP: 2
A first capture. That was a good sign—no one had been here yet. He needed to move fast before his adversary found this hidden chamber.
Kai scanned the mine for other potential shots. His eyes landed on the metal tracks embedded in the dirt. He raised his camera.
Capture successful!
Tries left: 8 of 20.
Train Tracks ??? (Uncommon)
1 of 3
HP: 0
VP: 4
Good. Like [Shadow], this was a solid fallback if he ran out of options. It had a high point value but no crafting use.
He followed the tracks around a bend and came to an abrupt stop. An invisible wall. Running a hand through the air, he confirmed the tunnel continued, but he couldn’t go any farther. The arena ended here.
Just past the barrier, beneath a gaslamp, he spotted an old pickaxe.
Can I photograph objects outside the arena?
Kai lifted the camera and focused on the pickaxe.
Capture successful!
Tries left: 8 of 10.
Rusty Pickaxe ?? (Uncommon)
2 of 3
HP: 4
VP: 0
He wanted to slap himself. He had gotten here first, yet he hadn’t taken two photos of the objects he’d found. He had wanted to save a few extra shots for later, give himself some flexibility. How presumptuous of him.
His opponent had probably realized the mistake and exploited it, burning through the picture pool while Kai had taken his time.
Frustration clawed at him as he scanned the mine, searching for something—anything—too obvious or too well-hidden for his opponent to have noticed.
Nothing.
His standing in this round had just taken a serious hit. He needed to think.
Leaving the edge of the map, he stepped back through the rock wall illusion and reemerged into the sunlight, his mood sour. He had secured several good cards, but was it enough?
He had no idea if he was ahead or behind. Moreover, his opponent this round was showing signs of being a tough one.
Forty minutes remained on the clock.
Kai exhaled, forcing himself to focus. He had to decide—what would he fill his remaining slots with?
He consulted his inventory:
· [Pond ??]
· [Block of Granite ??]
· [Water ??] x2
· [Mirror ??] x2
· [Flintstone ????] x2
· [Shadow ?]
· [Gaslamp ??]
· [Train Tracks ???]
· [Rusty Pickaxe ??]
He counted 23 points in 12 shots.
At least my failure rate had dropped.
Only one of his shots had failed this round. That was something.
His biggest advantage over his opponent was securing two [Mirror] cards. He was certain they had none. Even if they had grabbed a [Water] and a [Flintstone], he had two of each. That put him ahead—at least in that category.
On the other hand, his opponent had already locked in two copies of four different uncommon cards: [Pond], [Gaslamp], [Rusty Pickaxe], and [Train Tracks].
If Kai grabbed one more [Shadow] and [Pile of Granite], plus two each of [Moss], [Lichen], and whatever card the succulent granted, he’d fill up his shots. That would close the gap.
He couldn’t wallow. Even if his opponent was ahead, the crafting round was coming. That was where he could turn this around.
With so much time left, he decided to take another walk through the arena, just in case he had missed something. The last time he had extra time like this, he had stumbled upon a legendary card.
Assuming every arena has at least one legendary card, where would Daisy have hidden it?
The center of the map was a strong possibility—it had the pond, a unique landmark. But he had already explored that area thoroughly. The second-best candidate was the mine. It was a hidden location. If something rare was stashed away, that would be the perfect spot.
Now that the initial panic over his opponent finding the mine had passed, he decided to take a calm second look. He had nothing but time.
Just like before, he stepped into the rock wall illusion. After a few blind steps, he emerged into the curved tunnel.
Under the ghostly glow of the gaslamps, the abandoned train tracks stretched before him. Rusted tools leaned against the walls, their edges dulled by time. He walked slowly along the tracks, scanning every crevice.
Nothing.
Thirty minutes left.
He sat down. He could take his last eight pictures outside in under two minutes. There was no rush. He might as well enjoy the quiet while he could.
The crafting arena was too bright. Too sterile. Too clinical.
But the mine? Its eerie stillness, its dim light—it was peaceful.
He wondered what his opponent was thinking. What kind of sector was he from? How did they train their citizens there?
And Ariel. How was she holding up? What was it like to sit alone, with no one to talk to, while waiting for her only friend to return? What was going through her head?
He sighed. I hope she’s okay.
Sitting in the darkness of the tunnel, Kai lost track of time. His thoughts blurred until a flicker of movement caught the corner of his eye.
It was tiny, but after hours in a ghost world, any movement was enough to set a man on edge.
He jolted upright, muscles tense. Could his opponent have found a way to materialize inside his arena? Was that even possible? Maybe some kind of upgrade allowed a trial runner to appear in their rival’s exam.
Then he spotted it.
The motion wasn’t inside the arena. It was coming from beyond the edge—a flashing light. Or… was it flashing?
Kai narrowed his eyes. No, the light itself wasn’t flickering. Something was moving on the tracks, and as it passed under the distant gaslamps, the glow reflected off its surface, making it seem like it was blinking in and out.
The object wasn’t large or fast, but it was getting closer. The more he stared, the more its shape became clear.
A rusty mining wagon!
Now that it was near enough, he was sure it was automated. No one rode inside. But it was loaded.
His first instinct was to step off the tracks, but he stayed put, knowing the wagon would just phase through him like everything else. He positioned himself near the closest gaslamp, waiting for the right moment.
Kai gripped the camera, watching the wagon approach.
Not yet.
Not yet.
As soon as it rolled under the nearest light, he pressed the shutter.
Capture successful!
Tries left: 7 of 20.
Mining Wagon ?? (Legendary)
1 of 1
HP: 1
VP: 12
The wagon passed right through him. From a distance, it had seemed slow, but before he could even get a good look at its contents, it had already vanished into the tunnel beyond the arena.
Kai stared at his inventory, stunned.
I’ve done it! My second legendary card.
After two deadly still snap arenas, the idea of something moving inside one hadn’t even crossed his mind. He guessed the wagon only passed by at specific intervals, which meant that if someone didn’t stay here long enough, they’d never even know it existed.
And the points. Twelve victory points in a single card. That was incredible. The fact that it could be used for crafting or counted in two different trials made it even better.
The gears in his mind turned. He had to start thinking of potential combinations.
Then he remembered the clock.
The wagon had distracted him—it was almost time for the snap arena to end.
Kai ran outside, wasting no time finishing his shots.
Capture successful!
Tries left: 6 of 20
Block of Granite ?? (Common) – 4 of 4 | HP: 1 | VP: 2
Capture successful!
Tries left: 5 of 20
Shadow ? (Common) – 4 of 4 | HP: 0 | VP: 3
Capture successful!
Tries left: 3 of 20
2x Lichen ?? (Common) – 4 of 4 | HP: 0 | VP: 3
Capture successful!
Tries left: 1 of 20
2x Moss ?? (Common) – 4 of 4 | HP: 1 | VP: 2
After securing all the cards he already knew worked, he turned toward what he was almost sure would become a new item in his collection.
Capture successful!
No tries left.
Stonerock Succulent ???? (Common)
3 of 4
HP: 1
VP: 2
From his biology classes, he knew some things about succulents. He had been sure it was a common card based on how many of them he had seen growing on the rock walls.
Moments after he’d finished taking pictures, his figure disappeared, and he was back in the austere white room with the crafting table waiting for him.
