Summer of 346, A.D.
“Try starting it now,” Sunny said.
“Okay!” Kai grabbed the rope and gave it a yank. The generator clicked, sputtered, and for a moment, he thought it would run—then it coughed up a puff of black smoke and died.
“Hmmm... it wasn’t the belt, huh?”
“Nope. Could be the batteries,” Kai suggested.
“Unlikely, but possible. Let’s switch them out, just to rule it out.”
He jogged to the racks, searching for a set of compatible batteries. By the time he returned, Sunny had already unfastened half the screws on the generator’s casing. Kai picked up a screwdriver and got to work on the rest.
“Sunny?” he asked, as she removed the old batteries.
“Yeah?”
“Neil told me the trials are about survival.”
“That sounds like him.”
“Albert said it was about understanding the past.”
“Right. Everyone has their theory.”
“What’s yours?”
“Pass me the wrench.”
He handed it over.
“Let’s see... I believe it’s about engineering, of course.” She gave a quiet laugh. “I think it’s human nature. People turn the big picture into whatever small thing they care about.”
“Go on. Why engineering?”
“Daisy is a machine. Built by engineers. If we want to understand how she operates, it makes sense to put on an engineer’s shoes.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, think about the randomness problem. Computers can’t generate true random numbers. They have to base it on something—pi’s decimals, the system clock, whatever.”
“Okay... and?”
“That makes Daisy a little less scary. At least to me.”
Kai grinned. “Because she can’t come up with random numbers?”
“Not that,” she said, flashing him a smile. “Because there are things she can’t do. Seven point three.”
“What?”
“It was a number that just popped into my head. See? I’m better than Daisy at something.”
Kai laughed at Sunny’s brag.
“That should do it. Try starting it now.”
He pulled the cord again, and this time, the generator rumbled to life—steady and strong.
*
Present, 353rd Daisy exams, Round of 32.
Twenty-five minutes had passed since the round began. By now, he’d explored most of the city and found little variety. The buildings were mostly residential, with the occasional shop, kiosk, or office block scattered in. He’d found two more streets with trees—elm trees, if he was guessing correctly. All the same species. All planted in neat, predictable lines.
That left only the middle of the map.
Daisy had made the center obvious this round. After circling the perimeter, Kai had already confirmed that the tallest building marked the center—an unmistakable landmark, visible from anywhere in the arena.
As he headed toward it, something on the streets below caught his eye. Several cars were lined up, waiting behind others parked near large metal boxes. He raised his camera and zoomed in. One person stepped out of their car, pulled a nozzle from one of the boxes, and stuck it into the vehicle. Then they walked toward a nearby kiosk.
Inside the shop, the shelves were lined with candy bars and potato chip bags. Bright colors and shiny packaging filled the window.
“A gas station,” he murmured.
“Did you know the first gas station was built in Pittsburgh, USA, in 1913 of the Common Era?” Maia asked.
“I did not, no. I’ve only ever seen them in movies.”
“That’s only natural. Mother eliminated all unregulated fossil fuel usage.”
“Except when she needs plastic for her servers,” Kai countered.
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“I did say unregulated, didn’t I?” she replied a little too quickly.
He grinned. So androids have tempers too.
This gas station felt important—something he couldn’t afford to miss. He aimed at one of the fuel pumps and captured it.
Capture successful.
Tries left: 17 of 20.
Fuel Dispenser ? (Uncommon)
A device utilized to dispense fuel into vehicles.
2 of 3
HP: 4
VP: 0
2 of 3? My opponent has been already.
They’d taken a snapshot of the same station. After a moment of thought, Kai made his call. He’d empty the pool.
Capture successful.
Tries left: 16 of 20.
This card will make for a good meal for [Fire].
Glancing at the scoreboard, he saw that the opponent was having a more profitable run than him this round. It wasn’t impossible to close the gap in the ninety minutes he had left, but it still stung.
Kai sprinted the last stretch toward the central tower. Testing the wall with his hand, he watched it phase straight through and stepped inside.
The building was just like the others—well-kept, well-lit, but completely empty. He moved quickly, scanning for stairs.
He found them—but as he stepped forward, his foot passed straight through.
Hmm… Should I use the dimensional gloves here?
In the previous round, they’d let him stand on the rooftop of the floating factory. It only made sense they’d work here too.
He slipped the gloves on. They lit up softly as he stepped forward again. This time, his foot landed solidly on the stair.
Good.
Kai climbed the stairs, excited. It was impossible to access the top of the tower without the right upgrade. There was a good chance the treasure trove of this arena was still untouched.
“Interesting,” Maia said.
Kai’s heart jumped. “Goodness gracious. I forgot you were there.”
The android alternated between periods of non-stop trivia and stretches of feline silence. She was going to give him a heart attack at this rate.
“I have no data on who invented stairs,” she said, ignoring Kai.
“So?”
“It’s one of humanity’s most-used inventions, and yet the engineer behind it goes uncredited. Fascinating.”
Kai sighed, massaging his temples. “Here, Maia. Walk in front of me. I need to see you, or you’ll keep startling me.”
“Sure thing, Kai!”
At last, they reached the top. The view was stunning. Buildings, neon, and movement stretched out in every direction. Even through storm clouds and pouring rain, the city glowed. Alive. Untouchable.
Kai paced the rooftop, searching for what made this place the map’s treasure trove. At first, all he saw was the usual—satellite dishes, oversized AC units, chimneys. Bigger, sure. But still the same.
Then he spotted something different.
A tall, thick copper pole ending in a metal sphere. Thick wiring coiled around its base and disappeared over the rooftop’s edge.
A lightning rod! He hadn’t seen any others in the city. He raised his camera and took the shot.
Capture successful.
Tries left: 15 of 20.
Lightning Rod ?? (Rare)
Metal conductor that redirects lightning to prevent damage and fire hazards.
1 of 3
HP: 1
VP: 6
Yes! My opponent hasn’t been here! Just as I suspected.
Kai immediately snapped a second.
Capture successful.
Tries left: 14 of 20.
In a single move, he’d narrowed the point gap by twelve. That helped.
He searched the rest of the rooftop, but nothing else stood out.
Is the lightning rod it?
In the pine woodland, the treasure had been a dead tree. In the desert, an acacia. Maybe this time, it was just the [Lightning Rod].
Kai looked up at the stormy sky. Rain had been falling since the round began, but there were no signs of lightning. For now.
[Lightning Rod] is a rare card. Maybe I have to capture a [Lightning] card to go with it.
He’d keep an eye on the weather, but for now he had to resume exploration. He slipped off one of his gloves, and the rooftop dissolved beneath him. He dropped through the hologram until he landed on the arena floor.
Checking his map, he saw there was only one area left to explore.
Crossing the building opposite the gas station, Kai came upon a striking structure. It stood apart from the others—wider than it was tall, with an elegant staircase leading up to its grand entrance. The architecture came from a time when beauty mattered as much as utility. Compared to this, the rest of the city looked drab and lifeless.
He walked until he stood above the building. Its rooftop hovered just below the arena's invisible floor—out of reach. Still, through the skylights, he could peer inside.
Warm, inviting light illuminated rows of shelves. People wandered among them, pulling books or reading in silence. Even from up here, Kai could almost hear the hush of the space.
It was a library.
Suspicious of why Daisy had made it so conspicuous, Kai raised his camera and adjusted the zoom. The lens brought the shelves into focus—row after row of colorful spines. Planet Ignis. Hidden Class: Pacifist. Alien Bet. None of the names meant anything to him.
He frowned. It was unlikely he’d get a good photo of the books from this distance. Still, he kept scanning, zooming in and out.
Then he found something: a table, a single open book. No one sat at it. Curious, he zoomed in fully—eight times, the maximum his lens allowed. Barely enough.
The page was filled with equations. For a moment, he assumed it was math—until one line made his stomach flutter.
“Loyalty plus affection equals love,” he read aloud.
Love ?? (Rare)
[Loyalty ??] + [Affection ??]
Recipe book updated!
“That’s beautiful, Kai.”
“I was just reading the book down there,” he said. “That’s where Daisy hid this map’s recipes.”
“Oooh! Mother is so clever!”
For once, Kai agreed.
He kept reading. A second recipe followed soon after.
Wisdom ?? (Rare)
[Knowledge ??] + [Sadness ??]
Recipe book updated!
He tilted his head.
Sadness? Why would that be part of wisdom?
He scratched his scalp. And more importantly—how was he supposed to photograph something like that?
Loyalty, affection, sadness... These weren’t objects. They were ideas. Emotions. But abstract didn’t mean impossible. He’d done it before. Back in the last arena, he’d managed to capture [Neglect].
All he had to do was frame a scene that represented the feeling.
He reread the recipes, then turned his attention back to the library.
“Knowledge...” he murmured.
He adjusted his zoom to frame a full shelf of books and snapped a shot. Even if it didn’t work, the books could always be burned to feed [Fire].
Capture successful.
Tries left: 13 of 20.
Knowledge ?? (Uncommon)
Acquisition and understanding of information.
1 of 3
HP: 1
VP: 3
Bingo!
The first ingredient was his. If one piece of the recipe could be found here, the others likely could too. He took another photo—just in case.
Capture successful.
Tries left: 12 of 20.
Two [Knowledge] cards in hand. That was a start.
He doubted he’d find loyalty or affection represented on any rooftop. If they were anywhere, they had to be down below. Among the people. On the streets.
Kai lowered the camera. It was time to explore the city through the zoom lens.
[Anticipation ??] + [Bargain ??]
?? | HP: 1 → 1
?? | HP: 1 → 0
Crafting successful! You’ve crafted [First Edition Buff ????].
Snag the pre-order while it's hot (and cheap)—your early support makes a real difference.
?? Amazon link
