The training chamber was shrouded in darkness, save for the intermittent flashes of dim red lighting that pulsed across the walls. The shadows stretched unnaturally, warping the sense of space in a way that made Theo’s skin crawl. He rolled his shoulders, exhaling slowly, forcing himself to relax. This was going to be unlike any other training he’d done before.
Erasmus’s voice crackled through the overhead speakers. “Tonight’s lesson: Stealth combat. You already know how to take a hit and dish one out, but if you can’t see the enemy before they see you, you’re already dead.”
Theo cracked his knuckles, rolling his neck. “Alright, just tell me where I’m swinging.”
A scoff. “That’s the point, Theo. You won’t know.”
Theo blinked. “Wow. That was, uh… embarrassingly dumb. Can I take that one back?”
A soft hum filled the chamber, and in an instant, the red lighting cut out entirely. Theo was left standing in complete darkness.
He tensed, his breathing steady but measured. His heart pounded against his ribs, not from fear, but from anticipation. He’d fought boxers, wrestlers, kickboxers—hell, he’d taken down three snipers the other day—but fighting what he couldn’t see? That was new.
A whisper of movement behind him.
Theo spun, throwing a punch on instinct. Nothing. Just empty space.
The whisper again, this time from his left. He turned sharply, but before he could react, something slammed into the back of his knee. His leg buckled, and he barely caught himself from falling. A soft chuckle echoed through the room.
“Don’t just react, Theo. Predict. Use sounds, vibrations, patterns, anything to ascertain a method of attack.”
Theo clenched his jaw. “You’re loving this, aren’t you?”
“Immensely,” Erasmus replied dryly. “You rely on your eyes too much. A fatal flaw against someone who refuses to be seen.”
Theo rolled his neck, loosening his muscles. He needed to change his approach. If he couldn’t see them, he had to use what he had. Sound. Air displacement. Instinct.
He slowed his breathing, forcing his body into a relaxed stance. The room was silent except for the faint mechanical hum of the facility.
Then—there. A shift in the air, the faintest trace of motion coming from the right.
Theo didn’t turn this time. Instead, he threw out his elbow as the presence neared. His strike met nothing but air. Then a sharp impact landed against his ribs. He gasped, staggering, and another hit struck his shoulder, sending him reeling.
This wasn’t a fight—it was a goddamn YouTube tutorial on how to get wrecked. Every hit landed like a lesson in humility, every move he made countered before he even finished thinking about it. His instincts were failing him, his defenses crumbling. His breath came in ragged bursts as he fought to stay on his feet, but every movement was countered, every attempt at resistance met with punishment. His mesh was heating at an incredible rate and was unable to disperse the energy through offensive output. He couldn’t even channel it into movement as he couldn’t see his surroundings.
The mesh began to vent as he felt the structural integrity increase. His movements became restrained but his mesh felt almost twice as thick. Countless blows hammered into his joints and vital spots. The damage was lessened, but it wasn’t enough. He was a sitting duck.
The assault didn’t stop until he hit the ground and the mesh recoiled back into the device on his back, leaving him defenceless. His body ached, his vision blurred. He lay there, sucking in breath after breath, his frustration boiling beneath the pain. He hadn’t landed a single hit.
Silence filled the room.
Erasmus exhaled through the speakers, his usual smugness curiously absent. “Well… that was conclusive.”
Theo groaned, rolling onto his side. “Oh yeah? What gave it away? The sound of my dignity shattering?”
Erasmus paused. That was rare. “Hmm. It’s become clear to me that a basic human can’t keep up with stealth combatants. If you can’t track them, you can’t fight them. You have no extended perception, you can’t tap into system triggers designed for equality. Hmm.”
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Theo forced a laugh, though there was little humour in it. “Glad I could be your test dummy. Thank god you came to that conclusion now and not before I became one giant bruise.”
Erasmus wasn’t listening. His muttering came through the speaker, his mind clearly spinning with possibilities. “An implant…” he muttered. “Something to enhance perception. Track motion, predict trajectories…”
Theo frowned, wiping sweat from his brow as he waited an uncomfortable amount of time. “Uh, what now?”
Erasmus didn’t answer right away. Then, his voice came through, sharp and decisive. “Get some rest, Theo. We’ll be making some upgrades.”
----------------------------------------
“Table. Flat on your back. Shirt and trousers—off. And shut up before you even think about a joke. I can see it forming in your simple little head.” Erasmus groused impatiently as he rushed into his lab, a look of determination on his face while he turned to his main console.
Theo groaned but did as he was told, peeling off his shirt and trousers before settling onto the cold metal table. The surface was smooth, but it offered no comfort, making his already aching body protest. He let out a long breath, staring up at the sterile white ceiling of Erasmus’s lab.
A mechanical arm descended from the ceiling, a soft blue light emanating from its tip as it scanned his battered form. Theo shuddered slightly at the sensation—tingling warmth spreading across his skin as the machine got to work repairing his bruises and minor internal damage. It felt uncomfortable but not too invasive considering the work it was doing. Various electrical zaps and vibrating pads seemed to be doing the Lord's work as Theo actively felt his pain dimming systematically.
Erasmus, meanwhile, was already engrossed in his console. Holographic schematics flickered in the air in front of him, the beginnings of a complex design forming piece by piece. His fingers moved with mechanical precision, adjusting parameters, running simulations, and muttering under his breath.
Theo tilted his head slightly, his voice laced with exhaustion. “So, what’s the grand plan, Doc?”
“Neural integration… enhanced motion tracking… trajectory prediction overlay…” Erasmus murmured, half answering Theo’s comment as he continued adjusting the model blueprint.
Theo let his head fall back with a sigh. “I meant in a coherent sentence, preferably.”
Erasmus shot him a brief glance, then went back to his work. “An implant, Theo. One that will allow you to track movement at a speed your body can actually respond to. Your eyes and mind aren’t enough. This will be.”
Theo frowned at that. “You make it sound like I’m getting a new pair.”
“In a sense,” Erasmus replied, his voice clinical. “Your human perception is limited—your brain processes movement slower than what some opponents can achieve. Stealth combatants are particularly problematic because they don’t just move quickly, they manipulate space and perception to their advantage. With this, you’ll be able to see the patterns almost before they form. To counter before they strike. Maybe a few other bits, it depends how far I can stretch the resources I have to hand.”
Theo exhaled sharply, letting the idea settle in his mind. “Sounds… invasive.”
Erasmus smirked, eyes still locked on his designs. “It is. But so was that utter violation you just received.”
Theo nodded begrudgingly in agreement.
The healing process continued in silence for a while, the lab humming with soft mechanical noises. Theo could already feel the soreness having dulled significantly, the deep aches retreating as the nanotech did its job.
Then, without warning, a sharp beep echoed from the monitors. Erasmus’s head snapped toward the main screen, his hands pausing over the console. His gaze narrowed.
Theo propped himself up on his elbows. “What now?”
Erasmus didn’t answer immediately. His fingers moved swiftly, pulling up external surveillance feeds. The screen flickered, revealing grainy footage of the landscape outside the lab.
Silhouettes.
Moving figures.
Theo’s breath hitched slightly as he processed what he was seeing. They weren’t drones, they weren’t creatures—these were people.
“The tutorials are over,” Erasmus muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “The survivors are back.”
Theo sat up, the last of the healing forgotten. His heart pounded—not fear. Not excitement. Something in between. “You mean… the ones who made it?”
Erasmus didn’t look away from the screen. “The ones who survived.”
Theo swallowed, watching the screen. For the first time since arriving in this place, he had a choice. He could leave. He could walk outside and throw himself into whatever civilization was beginning to take shape. He could meet people, live as a normal human, find a place among them.
But then he thought back to the fight. To how easily he’d been torn apart.
If he left now, he’d just be another fighter scrambling for survival at absolute best, a stepping stone for someone stronger. He wasn’t ready.
He turned his gaze to Erasmus, who was still analysing the feed, his mind likely already working on contingencies. “I’m staying, if you were wondering,” Theo said firmly.
Erasmus finally looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “Oh? I thought you were eager to prove yourself to the world.”
“I will,” Theo replied, swinging his legs off the table. “But not yet.” He met Erasmus’s gaze, determination settling deep in his gut. “I got wrecked tonight. I’m not going out there until I’m the one doing the wrecking.”
A smirk played at the corner of Erasmus’s lips. “Smart choice.”
He turned back to the console, his hands moving once more, adjusting the implant schematics. “Then let’s make sure you leave here more than human.”