Tyson's body lay still inside the metallic pod, encased in a snug black rubber suit.
The rubber-like material clung to his body, designed for maximum flexibility and strength. The triangular meta-bot flickered in the centre of his chest with a soft white light. His consciousness, however, was situated elsewhere.
The virtual world blossomed around him as Tyson's physical body lay at rest.
The simulation was seamless. He could taste the metallic tang of blood, and the ground felt incredibly solid beneath his feet, almost unnaturally accurate. His senses were completely engaged, and every detail felt real.
It was a controlled environment, and Tyson and his meta-bot could merge as one—no longer two separate entities but a single force bonded by the meta-bot's energy and heartbeat.
Tyson's eyes flashed open, though he wasn't genuinely awake. In this simulated reality, his mind drove his body's actions.
He surveyed the desert landscape; jagged rocks jutted from the dry earth, and the air hung with the stench of decay and dust.
He wasn't alone.
The Metallic hum of the suit's nanotech flooded Tyson's senses as the armor materialized around him. In seconds, his body was fully encased in white armor, and the glowing emblem on his chest pulsed as if alive.
He could feel his armor enhance his overall speed and movements, empowering him.
The helmet whizzed into place as it revealed every angle of Tyson's surroundings through the HUD display.
A blue hologram flashed in his helmet display, as it told him confirming 100% Nanoparticles in his suit.
The first wave of monsters emerged on the horizon, and he saw sand-like beings that looked like humanoid shapes. With every movement, grains of sand fell from their forms, swirling and shifting as if a strange life was rising from the ground itself.
The dry winds made the air thick as the figures approached.
In Tyson's vision, the HUD display flickered to life, instantly outlined them in red, with their digital profiles illustrating the threat they represented. With each step, their bodies appeared to warp, as though the sand were alive, adjusting to the ground below.
Tyson firmed his hold on the sword. He planted his feet into the simulated sand, preparing for the first creature's attack.
Tyson's instincts kicked in when the first sand-like creature attacked. He smoothly sidestepped as his sword zipped, precisely cutting through the creature's form and instantly severing its sand-like limbs. The beast let out a hiss before it crumbled into a pile of sand, vanishing into the ground.
A second one came from his left, his meta-bot boosting his strategic thinking. Swiftly pivoting, he raised his sword in a sweeping arc, the blade cutting with such force that it shattered the sand creature into dust on impact.
The third creature came from behind, but Tyson swiftly closed the distance, his sword slicing downward with a crack. The creature disintegrated into particles, its form vanishing into the simulation's landscape as if it had never existed. Tyson's confidence rose with each strike while the remaining creatures hesitated.
They attempted to regroup, but Tyson's meta-bot armor synchronised with his mind, calculating every angle and every potential attack.
He raised his hand, and his meta-bot responded instantly, summoning a shield to block a fast-moving projectile from one of the remaining monsters.
The shield absorbed the impact, and Tyson struck back with a single thrust that pierced his opponent's heart. The monster crumbled, its sand-like body scattering into the wind.
Tyson wiped out the entire wave in just minutes. He stood there, breath steady and expression calm. The creatures were gone, and he hadn't even broken a sweat. His HUD flickered briefly with a victory notification.
Tyson opened his eyes and felt a slight muscle ache, yet the thrill of combat still buzzed in his mind.
A sound of clapping broke his concentration. He turned to see the figure by the pod, a pleased grin spreading across his face.
"Impressive," the man said with enthusiasm. "Nine minutes and thirteen seconds! You're getting better."
Tyson remained silent, his eyes narrowing slightly as he removed his helmet and ran his hand through his sweat-drenched black hair.
He lacked comparable cheerfulness.
The pod briefly flickered, displaying the duration for completing the wave: nine minutes and thirteen seconds. It was a respectable time, quicker than many, but that wasn't enough.
He looked at the screen showing the leaderboard, his gaze instinctively drawn to Alex's name.
Alex: 8:09
Tyson's stomach tightened.
He'd come close, but close wasn't enough. It never was.
The guy by the pod noticed Tyson's gaze, and his smile faltered, sensing the unspoken tension. "What's wrong? You nearly had him."
Tyson didn't respond immediately. He glanced at the time again, feeling frustrated. Alex. The guy seemed one step ahead; his records remained out of reach.
Tyson sensed the burden of that ongoing comparison, which ate away at him. His body had hardly broken a sweat, but his mind was nowhere near satisfied.
"Nine minutes isn't good enough," Tyson muttered under his breath, more to himself than to anyone else. He glanced back at the guy, his jaw tightening. "I need to beat him."
A brief silence enveloped the room. The man gazed at Tyson, observing him for a moment.
"You will, but for the moment, concentrate on yourself."
Tyson remained silent. He stepped off the platform, determined to stretch his muscles and reset. However, beneath the surface, a fire raged inside him.
The sense of lacking dominated him, fueling his determination to surpass Alex's record. He was willing to do anything necessary.
"Again,"
Tyson sat at the river's edge, his gaze lifted toward the night sky, where stars twinkled quietly.
The river's gentle current mirrored his thoughts. The stars were the same ones people talked about, the ones that had once fallen and devastated mankind—the ones that had brought about the disaster. At least, that's how the stories went.
Tyson had never experienced the event. He was born after the meteor strike when the world had already started to rebuild.
He couldn't even fathom the devastation people described, nor did he wish to. The past felt distant for him, like days he had never seen. Yet, he loved to see the stars.
Something about them always seemed to beckon him in a manner he couldn't articulate to anyone. It was a connection that surpassed mere curiosity; it was not just a simple wonder.
It was how they seemed to reach out to him, like old friends eager to welcome him.
Sometimes, Tyson wondered if it was the thing connected to him—the meta-bot—that made him feel this way or if he had always felt this way, even before it became a part of him.
But regardless of the reason, the sky always made him feel less alone. Beyond the stars, everything else seemed to fade into the background. For a moment, Tyson could breathe easier—no records to break, no training to endure.
"I didn't keep you waiting, did I?" Nancy's approached him. Tyson's heart fluttered at her soft voice.
"No, not at all," he replied as she sat beside him. Her legs dangled in the cool river water. "Thanks for coming."
Nancy felt a blush spread across her cheeks as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Thanks for inviting me," she said, looking around.
Nancy's gaze wandered over the unfamiliar landscape, her eyes tracing how the stars danced on the water's surface.
She appeared calm, absorbing everything around her, learning to fit into a town that still felt foreign for her.
"I haven't had much of a chance to explore," she admitted softly, her fingers fiddling with the edges of her sleeve. "I still don't know many places around here. It's all so different from where I used to be."
Tyson smiled softly, nodding in understanding. "It's a bit of an adjustment. Everyone around here is quite accustomed to it, but for someone new... it might feel strange."
"Yeah," Nancy chuckled nervously. "I thought I'd be okay, you know? But it's odd to walk into a town where so many people know each other, and I'm still trying to figure out where the best coffee shop is."
Tyson grinned as he met her gaze. "Well, you're not alone. Everyone has their way of settling in. But maybe I can show you around some time— to help you discover those hidden spots you won't find as a tourist guide."
Nancy's eyes brightened, and a genuine smile curled on her lips. "I'd like that,"