Obi’s eyes widened as darkness gave way revealing a tall figure cloaked in shadows. The air seemed to thicken with tension, his palms growing slick with sweat. He would never understand why the Fourever Four had to build this place to mirror Carbon Space so much. There would be time to ponder on that. There, standing before him, was Elias—the legendary soldier, known across the Carbon and Grid space as one of the most feared warriors ever. Obi found it rather startling that now that he was in his presence, more than the reverence he expected to feel, something strange gnawed at his mind. A strange feeling of familiarity, a disjointed echo of recognition, but he couldn’t quite place it. Elias was dead a few decades before he was even born.
As Elias approached, the hairs on the back of Obi’s neck prickled. It was like watching a glitch in his memory loop, moments from his dreams filtering into his waking world. The closer Elias got, the more the fragments of dreams resurfaced. Night after night, Elias had appeared in Obi’s sleep, his face partially obscured in darkness. Now that he watched him, he didn’t need to see the face. The shape of his body and the grace in his gait were enough. The realization struck Obi like a lightning bolt.
"I’ve seen you before," Obi said. Elias stopped, his piercing gaze locking onto Obi’s with a mild flicker of curiosity. "In my dreams. Many dreams."
Elias scoffed, a sly curve at the edge of his lips. "If I had a Computium for every fanboy or fangirl who dreamed of me, I'd be rich enough to join the Fourever Four," he spoke dismissively, and his tone dripped with condescension. “You still think this is a game, kid. You know nothing of war.”
Before Obi could even react, Elias blurred forward in a flash, drawing his katana with a fluid motion. "Quantum Samurai!" he shouted, his voice sharp as the blade. In an instant, Elias split into two, each clone a perfect mirror of the other, attacking from both sides.
Obi’s HUD flared red with alarms but it was useless. He hadn't even been fast enough to block a single blow. The first Elias struck from the left, the second from the right, their laser katanas carving through the air in perfect synchrony. A double blow landed, the sharp searing pain from the strike blinding him. His vision blurred as his health bar drained rapidly. His HUD flashed violently, a throbbing red light pounding in his head, leaving him disoriented.
“Not ready,” Elias muttered, shaking his head. In one swift motion, he aimed a decapitating slash. Darkness swallowed the scene as Obi’s vision filled with the dreaded “Game Over” screen, the question hovering: "Would you like to try again?"
Obi hesitated for a second, his heart racing. He clicked on “Try Again”. His health bar replenished, and the room reformed itself around him. He stood up, knees slightly trembling. The reality of Elias’s power was starting to set in.
Elias stood calmly, watching Obi reset. "You’re way too inexperienced to embark on any S-ranked mission. Commander X told me about you, called you a ‘savant,’ but I wasn’t expecting some kid." His tone was sharp but edged with bemusement.
“I’m not a kid,” Obi shot back, his chest tightening. “I’ve seen twenty-eight summers.”
Elias laughed, a cold sound that echoed in the room. "Twenty-eight summers? That's a blink in the eyes of the Fourever Four."
Before Obi could even process his words, Elias blurred into motion again, performing the same attack with eerie precision. Again, Obi was too slow. The twin Elias clones struck simultaneously, their blades swift and precise, and Obi collapsed into another “Game Over”.
He took a deep breath, his frustration rising. He clicked to try again.
Elias looked down at Obi, shaking his head slowly, his expression darkening. “You think this is all a joke because you can reset whenever you want,” he said coldly. “You believe you can quit at any time and go back to carbon space, safe and sound.”
Obi felt a wave of unease wash over him. The reality of the situation was starting to hit harder.
"This place is a warzone," Elias continued. "It’s designed to simulate real battles you’ll face, and some of those battles will be to the death. Your resets are limited and when you die in the Grid, you will die in Carbon space too. Some fights, you only even get one chance." He pointed the tip of his katana at Obi. "You have no discipline. You need to take every battle as if it’s your last.”
Elias dashed forward again, repeating the Quantum Samurai move. Obi tried to focus, his heart pounding as he desperately raised his weapon to block, but Elias’s speed was overwhelming. The twin strikes hit him before he could even react, cutting him down once more.
Another Game Over screen. This time, Obi moved to quit, but the button remained unresponsive.
"What the hell…" he whispered, panic setting in as his fingers futilely tapped the screen.
Elias let out a low, mocking chuckle. “Are you scared yet?” he asked, his voice low, almost a whisper as he watched Obi struggle with the realization.
Obi stared at the screen, his pulse hammering in his ears. There was no escape. No quitting. He was trapped in this war, and it wasn’t a game anymore.
Obi’s chest tightened. The Game Over screen was still fresh in his mind, but the reality that he might be stuck in this world was sinking in, and with it, the pressure mounted. Elias stood before him, scanning Obi’s stats with an expression that had shifted from mockery to interest. After a long pause, Elias raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps you are something special,” he muttered, his tone now more analytical than dismissive.
Obi wiped sweat from his brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Elias’s eyes narrowed, then widened as if he had discovered something. “Your potential energy... it’s near limitless.”
Obi’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Potential energy?” He scoffed. “Come on, you don’t believe in that myth, do you?”
Elias didn’t flinch. “Bullshit, huh?” he echoed. “It’s always amusing to me when people dismiss things they can’t understand. The concept of PE is what people use to explain the phenomena beyond the reach of standard Grid knowledge. But it's no myth, boy. It's real, and you’ve got more than most.”
Obi crossed his arms defensively. “If it’s so real, why haven’t I heard of it outside of bedtime stories?”
Elias stepped closer, his voice lowering. “Because you’re not at a level where you can even perceive it. Your XP is embarrassing. To you, it’s a fairy tale, but to me, it’s everything.”
Obi looked skeptical, but something in Elias’s tone made him pause. “If PE is so important, then why doesn’t everyone in Carbon Space have access to it?”
Elias tilted his head, a glint in his eyes. “Answer me this, kid. Do you believe anyone can do anything in Carbon Space?”
Obi froze. His mind whirred. He hadn’t expected that question. He opened his mouth to answer but found himself hesitating. Why was he hesitating?
Elias’s grin widened. “You’re pausing because you're either trying to lie or bend the truth. The truth is never far from the tongue. But lies, we have to go far in our minds to find.”
Obi remained silent.
“Just like in Carbon Space,” Elias continued, “everyone is unique. Some are more gifted in one area than others. It’s the same in the Grid. If anyone could do anything, then why would they choose you? Why not pick some random guy off the street?”
Obi’s fists clenched. “I was chosen because I’m the best. I worked hard to be the best.”
Elias let out a booming laugh. “The best, huh? Then tell me, how can the best not be able to counter a move I’ve repeated over and over again?”
Obi’s confidence wavered. He had no response.
Elias’s eyes sharpened, his voice turning cold and instructive. “You’re not the best because you’re flawless. You’re the best because you have the fastest rate of improvement. There are only two stats that matter in the Grid. Level-Up Gradient and Peak Potential Energy. The former measures how fast you can evolve, while the latter shows how much energy is available to you at your peak.”
Obi blinked, his mind processing this new information. “Why isn’t this taught in school if it’s so important?”
Elias chuckled darkly. “Military school? That place teaches you order and obedience. They shave off your individuality with the buzz cuts, the uniforms, the routine. But out here, in the real world, you have to know why you’re fighting. If you're just following orders, you’ll never last in the fight when things get crazy.”
A long silence settled between them. Obi’s mind drifted, flashing back to the dreams he had about Elias. Something felt off, but the more he tried to focus on it, the more it slipped away like fine sand through his fingers.
Suddenly, Elias snapped him back to reality. “Think fast!”
With lightning speed, Elias blurred and split into three this time. Obi’s instincts kicked in. He dropped a smoke bomb and activated his invisibility cloak, slipping into the shadows.
“Finally learning, eh?” Elias’s voice echoed in the mist. “Intelligence will get you further than raw skill ever will. With the right tactics, even a novice can defeat a Fourever Four.”
Obi's heart pounded in his chest as Elias’s voice rang in his ears, and before he could react, a whisper came directly behind him. “But don’t forget...” Elias’s katana found its mark once again, cutting through the haze and Obi’s defense with precision.
The world spun, and Game Over appeared once more.
“You don’t spend 400 years in the Grid without acquiring a few toys.” Elias stepped over him, looking down with amusement. “Like sonar sensors. I can find you just by tracking your heartbeat.”
Obi gritted his teeth, his fists clenched in frustration as he chose to try again. When the world materialized around him, his expression had shifted. He wasn’t scared anymore. He was angry. Focused. Determined.
“I’m not your kid, old man,” Obi growled, standing tall, his hands tightening around his weapon as he shifted into a combat stance.
Elias smirked, finally seeing some fire in Obi’s eyes. “Ah, there it is. Finally getting some steel in you.”
They stood facing each other, Elias’s samurai robes rustling eerily even though there was no wind function activated in the room. The tension between them grew thick, and for the first time, Obi felt the weight of the moment—the training was no longer a game. It was survival.
Elias readied his katana, his smile fading into a battle-hardened expression. "Show me what you've got."
Obi’s heart pounded as he sprinted forward, two explosive devices primed behind him. The sound of his feet hitting the virtual ground echoed in his ears, but he focused on Elias, who stood poised ahead, the older man’s eyes twinkling with amusement. Obi’s breath hitched as Elias split into multiple forms again, each moving in perfect synchronization toward him.
"Not this time," Obi muttered under his breath, pulling the first pin. Smoke billowed out from behind him, cloaking his movement. With a swift flick of his wrist, he yanked the second pin - a stun grenade this time. A sharp BANG ripped through the air, disorienting the clones. “Ziggy Zagga Death Combo!” Obi shouted as he dashed in a tight, zig-zag motion, slicing through the air in search of luck.
His third strike connected. The blade cut clean through one of Elias’s clones, and the form shattered into a thousand cuboid packs of light, scattering into the virtual abyss. But Obi didn’t have time to celebrate. The real Elias was still out there, and he could feel a presence behind him—too close for comfort. Without thinking, Obi spun left, his blade slicing through the air.
CLANG!
Elias had blocked at the last second, his katana gleaming as sparks flew from the clash. Obi stumbled back, his chest heaving, but Elias only smirked, taking a step back. “Not bad,” Elias teased, adjusting his grip on the sword. “Not bad at all.”
Obi’s hands were still trembling around the hilt of his blade, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He watched as Elias sheathed his weapon, casually walking toward him. Obi hesitated, unsure if this was another trick. But the older warrior just chuckled.
“Relax, kid. You’ve earned this.” Elias’s voice softened as he gestured toward Obi. “Look at your stats.”
Obi frowned, glancing at his display. His XP was skyrocketing, leveling up with each passing second. He felt the energy surge through him. All this for a successful attack that didn’t even score completely.
“You only had to hit me once. Well, at least almost hit me once.” Elias pointed out, a knowing smile on his lips.
Obi slid his sword back into its gear like a seasoned ninja. He was still catching his breath, but he couldn’t resist a grin. “You’re lucky that’s all I had to do.”
Elias threw back his head and laughed, a sound that reverberated through the empty arena. “Oh, kid. You’re going to be fun.” He then gestured toward himself.
“Read my stats, and read it carefully.”
Obi’s grin faltered as he examined the numbers more closely. His mouth fell open in shock. “What the hell...” he whispered.
Elias had been fighting at only 7% capacity.
The realization hit Obi like a truck. He had barely scratched the surface. “Don’t feel so bad,” Elias said, shrugging nonchalantly. “It’s the max I’ve ever had to go. You should be proud. Yet, because of your pride, you cannot be proud.”
A soft hum filled the air as a portal materialized behind Elias. Its swirling light cast eerie shadows across the ground. Elias turned to face it, his back to Obi. “Is the lesson over, then?” Obi asked, still processing everything.
Elias nodded, stepping toward the portal. “Yes. One of an infinite set of lessons. It takes a lot of power to run this AI agent. So we have to be wise about the time.”
Obi blinked, the weight of those words sinking in. Infinite. He took a step forward, his curiosity now burning brighter than ever. “Not all tests are about brute force. Come here,” Elias called, beckoning Obi toward the portal. “There are things you must know. Things you must see.”
Obi hesitated for only a moment before following. The portal’s light enveloped him, and in an instant, the world shifted.
They landed in a city that looked eerily familiar—a skyline dotted with modern skyscrapers, bustling streets filled with electric cars, and people glued to their devices. But something was off. This wasn’t the Grid. This was... 2024.
“What is this?” Obi asked, his voice barely a whisper as he took in the sights. It looked like a snapshot of the world before everything changed.
Elias stood beside him, his voice solemn. “This is where it all began, well four years before this time. I was 18 during the COVID pandemic,” he began, his gaze distant. “It was the first real test of the Grid Mind... though back then, we called it the Internet.”
Obi’s eyes widened. He had heard stories about the early days of the Grid but never anything like this. Elias continued, his tone growing darker. “The lockdowns were the perfect opportunity. They tested isolation on a global scale. Work from home, learn from home... even socializing was reduced to screens. The atomization of humanity began here. You could live your whole life without ever touching another person.”
Obi shuddered at the thought, his mind flashing back to the disconnected lives of so many players in the Grid today.
“Back then, everyone wanted to be an influencer,” Elias continued with a bitter laugh. “People sold their souls for likes and views. It was the first time society openly accepted the commodification of attention as currency. Strippers left the poles for cams. Brands paid men to watch for free, as long as they could keep the numbers climbing.” As Elias spoke, he projected images to reference his statements from his eyes.
“And then came SamGPT,” Elias’s voice dropped, a cold edge creeping in. “The first true AI. It wasn’t self-aware yet, but it was close enough to scare the hell out of people.”
“SamGTP?” Obi interrupted, his brow furrowing. “You mean AGI?”
Elias nodded, his expression grim. “Yes. AGI. There was a war—King Sam and Elon. Elon warned everyone about AI. He knew what was coming. But no one listened. Not until it was too late.”
Obi shook his head in disbelief. “Why didn’t they listen to Elon?”
Elias’s smile was bittersweet. “Because back then, Elon wasn’t a king. He was just the richest man in the world. Loved and hated in equal measure. It didn’t help that many disagreed with his politics. But more than anything else, it was humans being humans, exercising our death instinct as best we can. Same way we didn’t care for climate change until the skies grew grey. From the moment we split the atom, it was clear—give us death or give us nothing.”
As Elias spoke, his form began to glitch. Static rippled through his body, his image flickering as if struggling to stay connected. “I guess the local node is exhausted for today’s lesson,” he said, his voice strained. “This is about as long as these sessions can last. I hope you learned something today.”
Obi felt a pang of frustration rise in his chest. “But I have so many other ques—”
Before he could finish, Elias waved him away with a forced quit. Obi’s surroundings dissolved into green lines of code, and then suddenly, he was yanked back into Carbon Space, alone.
Obi’s fists clenched as the familiar carbon world reformed around him. For the first time, he felt something unexpected—anger.
💪🏽