Four?
The world around Alonso dissolved into the intricate 3D simulation his mind had crafted. Reality no longer mattered; it was replaced by a lattice of data—raw, pulsing, and shifting in perfect sync with his electromagnetic pulses. Distance, density, conductivity, vibration... all transformed into precise, calculated paths inside his mind.
Four worms, labeled A, B, C, and D, tracked through the earth. He could see them beneath the surface, feel their vibrations in the soil as if they were brushing against his skin. Their metal-tipped heads glinted in the data like anomalies, shining beacons of motion and intent. Their paths were erratic and chaotic to the untrained eye, but to Alonso, they were merely predictable patterns waiting to be unraveled.
He mentally mapped the exact distance each worm had traveled beneath the ground, calculating their speed, their launch trajectory as they would inevitably breach the surface, heading toward him with violent force. Worm A was closest, tunneling beneath the surface at a shallow angle—likely to leap into the air in less than 2.12 seconds. Worms B and C followed a moment behind, converging toward his left, while D was slightly farther but moving fast, its burrowing creating a distinct vibration pattern Alonso had learned to read instinctively.
The space around him in this simulation was clear and perfect—he saw it all in his mind. Worm A would breach the surface first, at a precise 37.58-degree angle, launching toward him with a velocity he had already predicted. B and C were the trickiest. Their future paths crossed creating an intersection point he would exploit. He could catch them both mid-air if he timed his swing perfectly. D was the last, arriving late but still dangerous. The moment he finished his first arc, D would breach, and his blade would need to carve the air through its path just as its metallic head emerged.
All calculated. All mapped.
He adjusted his stance within the simulation, feet shifting into position. His sword, already drawn in his mind, hummed with potential energy. The swing was already complete in his head. He could feel the tension in the muscles of his arm, the way the blade would slice through the air, meeting the precise points he had calculated. But as he let the motion play out, something was off.
Not fast enough, Alonso thought, his focus narrowing in on the precise moment the blade would intersect with the worms. The slight drag in his swing—milliseconds too late—meant Worm D would slip past before the strike landed. His mental model flickered, recalculating. He adjusted his stance, shifting his feet a hair’s breadth wider for more stability. He increased the rotational force in his torso, feeding more speed into the blade.
Better... but not perfect.
He ran the simulation again, mentally feeling the way his muscles tensed, how the blade cut through the imaginary air. This time it was faster, but D—the last worm—was still an issue. The delay in transitioning from Worm C to D was too long. He needed to reduce the gap. He shifted his stance once more, this time tightening his grip on the sword's hilt to allow for a smoother, quicker follow-through between strikes. His mind refined the timing, compressing it.
The blade’s trajectory arced again in his head, but there was still a slight pause after Worm C. Milliseconds matter. Alonso tilted his wrist slightly, changing the angle of the blade just before it would slice through Worm B, allowing for a more fluid continuation into Worm D without losing momentum. His feet shifted forward, shortening the distance he had to cover to reach all four worms in time.
Again.
This time, the arc was flawless. His body moved with precision, the blade slicing through A effortlessly, sweeping through B and C in a single optimized motion, and finishing with D just as it emerged from the ground. His stance, the rotation, even the tension in his arm—everything aligned perfectly. The blade moved with the exact speed and control he needed.
Satisfied, he let the simulation collapse around him.
Alonso’s body moved exactly as his mind had predicted, the swing already half-complete the moment his awareness returned to the physical world. Worm A breached the surface, just as he had foreseen, and his blade cut cleanly through its metallic tip. The motion didn’t stop. Worms B and C erupted from the ground to his left—right where his blade was arcing, precisely timed. He felt the slight resistance as the steel of his sword split their forms simultaneously, exactly as his mind had calculated.
With the momentum of his swing carrying him forward, his body twisted, following through just as Worm D shot from the ground, milliseconds too late. His blade cleaved through the air, intercepting it in perfect synchronization with its launch.
And then it was over.
He ignored the orbs and kept walking forward.
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It had been 6 days on the island already.
As he moved, his focus shifted—not outward, but inward—toward the subtle, nearly imperceptible signal he constantly emitted. It was always there, woven into the fabric of his mind, a quiet hum that only he could detect. With a slight mental adjustment, he tuned into it more sharply. It was his one and only, self-created, and absurdly encrypted Status Screen. And no, he didn’t treat this as a game. Well… maybe sometimes.
For him, it was a work of art—albeit one that had taken more than a bit of effort.
Alonso Shemson
Stage 1 - 1.602%
Max Wave Stack: 14
* Skills:
* * EM Domain (v1.063): A highly advanced system of electromagnetic manipulation and sensory enhancement. Current submodules include:
* * * Motion Sensor: Detects movement within a defined EM field.
* * * Vibration Detection: Analyzes mechanical vibrations in the environment.
* * * Object Mapping: Creates real-time 3D models of surroundings using EM wave reflections.
* * * Trajectory Prediction: Forecasts the movement of objects based on velocity and path, optimizing for real-time response.
* * * Optimized Motor Response: Enhances reaction speed and precision by synchronizing physical movements with EM data analysis.
* * * Distance Measurement: Accurate to millimeter precision, measures the relative position of objects within the EM field.
* * * Spatio-Temporal Localization: Provides exact coordinates and temporal data using pre-defined references.
* * * Alarm: Triggers alerts when anomalies are detected in the field, based on pre-set thresholds.
* Predictive Simulation (v1.014): Runs possible outcomes and scenarios in real-time, using data from EM Domain to optimize the next moves. Helps anticipate attacks and actions before they happen, reducing reaction time.
* EM Cloak - Alpha (v0.034): An experimental cloaking mechanism, allowing manipulation of the EM spectrum to reduce or mask detectability. Current submodules include:
* * Cloak Self: Renders the user's EM signature nearly undetectable, blending with environmental noise.
* * Cloak Blade: Masks the EM signature of any metal weapon, making detection nearly impossible (Work in progress).
* * Cloak Ammunition: Extends the cloaking field to projectiles or thrown objects, concealing their approach (Work in progress).
* Magnetization - Alpha (v0.021): Early-stage magnetic manipulation, allowing control over ferromagnetic objects in a localized EM field. Capable of weak attraction and repulsion effects (Work in progress).
* Sword Mastery - Personal Style (v1.011): Customized combat technique developed through personal experience. Integrates EM analysis to enhance precision, speed, and efficiency with bladed weapons.
* Sling Mastery - Personal Style (v1.008): A personal adaptation of traditional sling techniques, augmented by EM field adjustments for increased accuracy and control over projectile trajectory.
* Houston - “...” No comments.
He had to admit, it was kind of beautiful.
"Beautiful? Please. It’s just a glorified, self-bragging spreadsheet."
He allowed the Status Screen to fade, keeping only the essential information in his mind. It had taken half a day to get it up and running, refining and encrypting it to a degree that even he sometimes had to tinker with it to keep everything stable. It was a functional system, one that only he could read. And that was the key.
“Yeah, great. Took you half a day to make something that still flickers like a broken neon sign.”
“It’s fine”, Alonso thought back, keeping his stride even. “Stable enough.”
“Stable enough? Isn't that what your ex told you when you asked how the relationship was going?"
Alonso rolled his eyes, not dignifying Houston’s comment with a response as he continued walking. The signal that contained all the coded information of the Status Screen was fine—more than fine. Sure, it needed tweaking every now and then to avoid destabilization, but it was solid.
He adjusted his stride, feeling the weight of his new armor—crafted from the hide of the thick-skinned panther-like creature. It wasn’t just any hide. This thing had been practically unbendable when he first skinned it. It had taken more than a full day of intense work to soften and shape it into something wearable, using every ounce of his strength and ingenuity.
He adjusted his stride, feeling the weight of the armor. Because yes, after going back and forth, well, he ended up doing it once and for all—over 20 hours of relentless work, sweat dripping, fingers blistered from grinding the unyielding material into submission. He'd practically wrestled it into shape, bit by bit, thinning the hide in just the right spots and finding a way to stitch it together with whatever materials he had at hand.
The final product was crude but effective. The armor clung to him with a rugged practicality, its thickened chest plate and back offering solid protection, while the joints remained flexible enough to move freely. It wasn’t elegant—no, it was more like survivalist patchwork—but it worked. The dark, almost metallic sheen gave it a hardened, battle-ready look.
“Just dashing! I’m sure if you knock on the neighbors' door for Halloween, you’ll get a lot of candy.”
Suddenly, three worms came at him. Something rather boring by now. Alonso purposely let one slide through his swing, its trajectory calculated perfectly. It collided with his chest at a precise angle, and the impact sent the worm skidding away harmlessly, leaving nothing but a tiny scratch on the vest. He barely acknowledged it as it retreated back into the ground, ignored and forgotten.
His gaze lifted to the sky. It was starting to get dark.