Autumn of 345, A.D.

  Albert mumbled a few complaints, barely audible over the crackling fire and the chatter of the sector. His words were mostly directed at Trudy, who ignored him, probably because it was the same old complaint. “Why can’t we just start at the library or museum right away?”

  Kai smirked. It was a tradition at this point.

  Albert’s silver hair was neatly combed back—mostly. A few rebellious strands refused to stay in place, softening the sharp lines of his weathered face. Alex had once described him in a way that stuck with Kai: “It’s like history ran Albert over with a bus.” At the time, Kai had laughed, but the older he got, the more accurate it felt.

  Albert spent so much time reading that his eyes couldn’t keep up with his mind. His thick, round wire-rimmed glasses perched on his tiny nose, barely concealing the curious brown eyes behind them.

  Clearing his throat, Albert began. “Very well, boys and girls, gather around. Welcome to my two-thousand-and-sixth sunrise bonfire.”

  Kai exchanged a look with Alex, who rolled his eyes. Albert was the only one who kept count of how many bonfires he had hosted. One of his many quirks.

  “Today, we’re going to talk about the value of perspective,” Albert announced, his voice rich with anticipation. “Depending on how you look at something, its worth can change dramatically. A thirsty man in the desert will take water over gold. Someone living next to a river? Not so much.

  “But sometimes, our perspective itself can create value. Let me give you a real example. In 96 B.D., there was a scientist named Dr. Spencer Silver. He set out to develop a strong adhesive but ended up with a weak one that didn’t stick well. By his standards, his efforts were a failure.”

  Albert made air quotes with his fingers as he said the last word.

  “But a colleague saw potential in his so-called failure. He realized that the weak adhesive could be used for sticky bookmarks—something that could be removed without damaging the paper.

  “The company he worked for recognized its practicality, and that ‘failure’ became a worldwide success: Post-it Notes. They revolutionized how people organized information. So, was Dr. Spencer a failure? Or did his invention simply need a different perspective to shine?”

  As usual, Albert got lost in his own thoughts, trailing off into silence. It was happening more often these days.

  Sunny cleared her throat, trying to nudge him back on track without breaking the respectful atmosphere of the sunrise bonfire.

  “Right, right,” Albert muttered, shaking his head. “So! Here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll all head to the museum. I want you to dig through past exam accounts and find examples where trial runners overcame challenges simply by shifting their perspective. Let’s go!”

  *

  353rd Daisy Trials, Round of 256.

  I wasn’t the first to reach the center of the map!

  Beads of sweat formed on Kai’s forehead. He had run here as fast as he could, even sinking fifty victory points into a map to find this spot quicker. How had his opponent beaten him to the punch?

  He forced himself to think. There were plenty of explanations. Maybe his rival had simply spawned closer. Maybe there were multiple ponds scattered across the arena.

  Besides, even if his competitor had gotten here first, that didn’t mean it was over. This place couldn’t compare to the dead tree from the first round, and the [Pond] card wasn’t worth many points. Back then, he had stumbled upon a jackpot—all sorts of mushrooms. But here? Nothing but rock. His opponent wouldn’t have scooped up nearly as many cards as he had in the first round.

  That thought made him jolt upright.

  Treasure trove. Treasure trove.

  This pond didn’t look much like one, did it? If he was right, and every map had a central hotspot, there had to be more he could capture here. It didn’t make sense for a single uncommon card to be the only prize. Maybe Daisy had hidden something else.

  Kai circled the lake, scanning the ground for anything remarkable. A gemstone, an exotic flower—something. But all he found was rock and debris.

  Maybe the real opportunity wasn’t around the pond.

  Maybe it was in it.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  He crouched by the shore, eyes locked on the still water. It was perfectly clear, like a sheet of glass, revealing the rocky bottom beneath.

  Kai took a slow breath and stepped forward.

  His foot passed straight through the surface. No ripples. No splash. Not even a shimmer. His boot remained completely dry. The entire pond was a hologram. It was like he and the water existed in two separate dimensions.

  The pond wasn’t even deep. At its lowest point, it would barely reach his waist. Kai pointed his camera down at the water and snapped a shot.

  Capture failed.

  Tries left: 17 of 20.

  “No way.”

  He frowned at the camera screen, then back at the pond. He had been sure he’d get a [Water] card or something similar. But how could he capture water that wasn’t visible?

  He stretched a hand forward again. Just like before, it passed straight through the surface. It was as if the water wasn’t even there.

  Maybe he just needed to change his perspective.

  Kai took a deep breath and lay down at the bottom of the pond. A shiver ran through him—it was unsettling to be inside the water yet remain completely dry and warm. The sensation sent goosebumps across his arms.

  With his back flat against the rocky bottom, he gazed upward. From this angle, the water was no longer invisible. Its viscosity became more noticeable, warping the light just enough to make it distinct.

  Carefully, he adjusted his camera, aligning the lens to capture as much of the water’s substance as possible. He pressed the shutter.

  Capture successful!

  Tries left: 16 of 20.

  Water ?? (Uncommon)

  1 of 3

  HP: 3

  VP: 1

  Bingo.

  So that was the trick. Daisy had made this one more challenging to capture. The pond was so perfectly still, so shallow, that the water had become too transparent. He had gotten the [Pond] card by viewing the whole body of water—but to get [Water], he had to shift his perspective, dive inside, and take the shot from within.

  As he suspected—this was a treasure trove, too. He just had to look at things from the right angle.

  Daisy had a pattern. She liked layering rewards along a single line of reasoning. Just like in the last stage—by using Gestalt theory and focusing on the individual components, he had gotten [Pine Bark] and [Pine Trunk] instead of just [Pine Tree].

  It was all about perspective.

  He studied the card details. With its high HP, [Water] looked like it was more geared toward crafting. He couldn’t wait to experiment with it at the crafting table. Before his opponent caught on, Kai took a second shot.

  Capture successful!

  Before exploring more of the map, Kai decided to see if Daisy had left any other surprises here. He stepped away from the pond, arms crossed, tapping his foot as he considered his next move.

  There was something he wanted to test.

  He paced toward and away from the pond, adjusting his position, searching for the right angle. After a few steps back, something flickered in the corner of his eye. He knelt, experimenting with different heights, tilting his camera slightly up. Eventually, he found himself lying flat on the ground, lens aimed at the pond.

  Through the viewfinder, he saw it.

  The light hit the pond at a perfect angle, transforming the surface into a flawless mirror. The reflection of the monoliths and the sky above merged seamlessly, creating an illusion where rock and sky blended into one. He fine-tuned his position, making minor adjustments until the framing was just right. Then, hoping for the best, he took the shot.

  Capture successful!

  Tries left: 14 of 20.

  Mirror ?? (Rare)

  1 of 2

  HP: 4

  VP: 3

  Yes!

  Before he lost the precise position he had worked so hard to find, he quickly took another shot.

  Capture successful!

  Kai exhaled, relieved. His opponent had clearly been here first, snapped a quick picture, and moved on. But because he had lingered, thinking through different angles, he had uncovered two uncommon cards and two rare ones.

  It was too late for the other trial runner now. Even if they returned, they’d only be able to claim the last [Water] card. Meanwhile, Kai had already secured two [Water] and two [Mirror] cards. Just like that, he had already spent a third of his tries for this round.

  He glanced over his haul so far:

  · [Pond ??]

  · [Block of Granite ??]

  · [Water ??] x2

  · [Mirror ??] x2

  Twelve victory points total. Most of the cards were shaping up to be crafting materials—high HP, low VP. That didn’t mean it was a bad thing. He had earned plenty of points from crafting in the last round. Hopefully, it would work in his favor again.

  Still, being second to the pond gnawed at him. His opponent had gotten there first, and that was unsettling. Either they’d been insanely lucky or they had acted with ruthless efficiency—he wasn’t sure which was worse. If only he could see their current score, if only he knew which cards they had already captured. Not knowing killed him. For all he knew, they were already miles ahead.

  Even so, Kai had to stick to his game plan. He had the map—his biggest advantage. With it, he could keep track of what was left to explore.

  Turning west, he settled into a brisk pace, fast enough to cover ground but slow enough to keep his eyes sharp. The rock piles all looked identical—no variation in color, no difference in veining. This entire quarry seemed to be nothing but granite. Just like the pine woodland before—only one type of resource.

  Daisy sure likes consistency.

  Still, he scanned his surroundings, methodically filling in the blanks on his map, searching for anything out of place. He still had thirteen tries left on his camera. Even if he snapped another shot of the Block of Granite, plus two each of the succulents, moss, and lichens growing along the cliff walls, he’d still have five shots left to spend. Too bad he couldn’t get a good angle on that red flower from earlier. That looked like a valuable card to capture.

  After ten minutes, he finally stumbled across something new.

  Unlike the neatly cut blocks of light gray, white-veined granite, a rough, glossy black boulder sat on the quarry floor. It was about the size of a basketball, but something about it felt off. Its surface was covered in smooth, curved impressions, almost like the shape of a shell. As if someone had taken an ice cream scoop and carved into it. The indentations were round and irregular, their glass-like finish catching the light.

  This isn’t granite.

  Kai pulled out his camera, adjusted the frame, and focused in.

  [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