I leaned back in the chair, squinting at the CPU chip on the desk in front of me. The dim light from my desk lamp flickered over its surface, casting small shadows across the tiny, intricate pins. It looked like one of those high-end i9 chips you’d find in a top-of-the-line gaming rig—definitely not something I’d expect to find just lying around after everything that’s happened.

I picked it up between my fingers, feeling its cool, metallic weight. The pins are delicate, almost too fine to believe they could survive a blast. How the heck did this thing come from that creature? And why is it still intact? The barrage that hit that creature is no joke—something with enough power to wipe out whatever that thing is. So how does this chip survive all that?

I turned the chip over, inspecting every angle, but there are no marks or indications that it had been through such a destructive event. It looked pristine, like it had just come out of its packaging. The contrast between its pristine condition and the destruction it had survived is almost unsettling.

I sighed and set it back down on the desk. My mind is spinning with questions and the tutorial hadn’t exactly been helpful—more like a bunch of vague hints and jargon that left me more confused than before. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the fatigue that had settled over me like a heavy blanket.

The day had been long and pretty weird honestly, and I felt every bit of it. The exhaustion is creeping in, and the idea of solving this mystery seemed less urgent than finding a decent place to crash. I glanced at the window—late, definitely too late. I rubbed my eyes, hoping a good night’s sleep might help clear the fog from my brain. Maybe then, I’d have a fresh perspective on this enigmatic piece of tech and the role it’s supposed to play in all this madness.

“Alright,” I muttered to myself as I stood up, stretching my tired limbs. “Enough for tonight. I'll figure this out tomorrow.” I left the chip on the desk, the glow of the lamp casting a final, soft light over its surface before I headed to bed, the questions swirling in my mind like a restless storm.

*

The next morning, I woke up to the same routine, though the CPU chip still sat on my desk, a silent reminder of yesterday's oddities. I shrugged it off, deciding not to let it distract me from the day ahead. After a quick bath and a breakfast, I headed over to the Fleet Control Room.

The day felt like it's settling into a familiar pattern. I glanced at the control panels, but everything seemed calm—no urgent alerts or pressing issues. I sighed, mentally preparing myself for another round of routine tasks. I sent my fleet off to day on its usual exploration mission after defeating that fleet, hoping they’d discover something new or, at the very least, return with useful information.

With that sorted, I turned my attention to the budget. It's holding steady, which is a relief. I made my way to the construction yard, my footsteps echoing in the large, open space. There, I placed an order for another pair of Color Class Destroyers, bringing my total up to 112 ships.

With the order placed and nothing pressing on the horizon, I found myself at a loose end. I wandered around the yard for a bit, checking on ongoing projects and idly inspecting the progress of various constructions.

Everything seemed to be running smoothly, but without any major tasks or developments on the immediate horizon, the day felt oddly empty.

*

It's around midday when I am currently working on the industries at Port Kwatro, my attention split between a jumble of tasks, when the Fleet Control Mask on my desk started beeping insistently.

I glanced over, took it and put in on my face, and a notification flashed on the screen: "New Island Discovered." Finally, after many days of waiting and hoping, my fleet had found another island, and it isn't just any island—it's in proximity to Port Six.

I quickly wrapped up my work and made my way to the port. Eventually teleporting myself to the Bridge of the Long Island, the island is on the horizon infront of me, there is also a curious sight. At first, it looked pretty standard, but then I noticed something odd: a white beam shooting up from the island. It's hard to tell exactly what it is, but it didn’t seem like a welcoming beacon.

I decided to keep my fleet a safe distance from the island, parking them well outside of the island. With the white beam still catching my eye, I returned to the Fleet Control Room. To my surprise, the island is much closer than I’d initially thought. It's definitely within reach of my fleet and my land base aircraft.

And so, i dispatched 10 B-1 bombers, and 20 F-2 fighters loaded with glide bombs, i also sent an AWACS aircraft for reconnaissance. The aircraft took off, their engines roaring into the sky, and I settled in the room for now to wait.

Hours later, my aircraft finally arrived and i ordered them to circle and scout around the island, and I could barely contain my anticipation. I got the F-2 cameras clicking away, capturing images of the landscape. The initial photos of forests and open land seemed mundane enough, but then the fifth squadron’s images came through: a cape with many ruined structures, the white beam still piercing the sky originates. That is definitely something worth investigating.

I kept snapping photos, trying to piece together the island’s story. The ruins are intriguing, but i don't see much interest after that. As my aircraft strike force’s endurance started to wane, I made the decision to let them drop their bombs on the ruined structures for safe measure in case of something show up and lighten up their load.

With my curiosity piqued and a new mystery on my hands, I made a quick decision. I teleported back to the bridge of the Long Island and prepared to move the fleet closer to the island. My fleet, fresh and ready, would give me the answers I needed—or at least get me closer to understanding what this strange island and its white beam are all about.

Stolen story; please report.

*

Despite the 500 kg of ordinance being dropped, the island looked almost untouched as i got closer. My nerves are on edge, each distant sound and shifting shadow magnified by my anxiety. I decided to keep Long Island and other destroyers to be out of the cape, while I sent out Combat Air Patrols for some added security as ordered the Heavy Cruisers and a few destroyers to go in, all are primed and ready.

As I teleported to the bridge of the Scharnhorst, my heart pounded so loudly I could almost hear it over the hum of the ship’s engines. I had this unsettling feeling that something is waiting for us, lurking in the shadows of this mysterious island.

But nothing materialized as my ships approached. The island remained eerily quiet, save for the occasional creak of the ship and the distant call of seabirds. I finally reached the dockyard—surprisingly intact despite the island’s mysterious aura. It looked like a place where I could safely moor the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.

I sent the Gneisenau and the rest of the destroyer squadron off to patrol the surrounding area, its guns scanning for any sign of trouble. Meanwhile, I maneuvered the Scharnhorst into the dockyard. The maneuvering is delicate, but i managed to park her securely.

The dockyard itself seemed abandoned, with overgrown vegetation and cobwebs hinting at years of neglect. Still, it provided a much-needed safe harbor for the Scharnhorst. As I stepped away from the bridge, I couldn’t shake the feeling that i am not alone, and the island’s silence felt almost too heavy, like a prelude to something unseen.

I scanned the horizon, waiting for any sign of activity. My gut told me to stay alert, but for now, it seemed that our presence had not stirred whatever might be lurking in the depths of the island.

Even as I stood on the deck of the Scharnhorst, the uneasy feeling that something is waiting lingered. I am not going to make them take any chances, so I ordered another strike force of B-1s and F-2s, just in case things took a turn for the worse. With the aircraft en route, I made my way to the dockyard, which is surprisingly reminiscent of ancient Greek architecture. The marble surfaces gleamed even in the bright light, lending an eerie, timeless quality to the place.

Armed with my 9-inch HE cannons slung over my shoulder, I approached the closest structure. It's a dome, partially collapsed, with enormous pillars ruins around it. The scale of these pillars are quite overwhelming—huge, monumental, as if they are designed to dwarf anything nearby. It's odd to see such grandiose architecture in this setting but given how I’d summoned warships through strange systems before, I'm not questioning it.

As I reached the front of the dome, I am struck by its sheer size. It loomed over me, easily a hundred feet tall, with a strange, almost mystical light spilling from the top. The light flickered and danced, casting long shadows across the marble floor.

I attempted to climb the dome, hoping to get a better view or find an entrance, but the surface is smooth as hell and offered no handholds. My attempts to grip anything are futile. Frustrated but undeterred, I decided to walk around the structure, keeping my eyes peeled for any signs of entry or clues about its purpose.

As I circled the dome, the grandeur of the structure only became more apparent. The collapsed pillars formed a ring around it, their broken pieces scattered like ancient, forgotten relics. The silence around me is almost deafening, punctuated only by the occasional distant noise of my aircraft roaming around the area.

As I continued my walk around the dome, my eyes finally caught sight of a small crack in the structure. It looked almost insignificant at first, but as I approached, it became clear that the crack is big enough for me to squeeze through. But upon closer look the entrance is larger than I initially thought, big enough to fit ten of me if needed. I glanced above at my flying aircraft, their presence reassuring me that the area is still secure. With a quick deep breathe, I decided to press on and slipped through the crack.

Inside, the space is unsurprisingly dark except. At the center is a bright pedestal that reminded me of something straight out of a King Arthur legend—a grand, ancient pedestal with a mysterious item resting atop it. I approached cautiously, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

To my amazement, the pedestal held a sword, or rather, the hilt of a sword with its blade embedded in the pedestal itself. It's majestic, a sight that seemed almost out of place in this strange, otherworldly setting. The sword’s design is intricate, and it seemed to hum with a quiet energy.

Taking a deep breath, I reached out and grasped the handle of the sword. As I pulled it from the pedestal, I could feel a sense of anticipation building, a sensation that something significant is about to happen. The sword is a cutlass—long and finely crafted, yet it felt like it's made just for me, perfectly balanced in my hand.

As I admired the weapon, a panel appeared before me, shimmering with a familiar interface. The text read:

[Congratulations Admiral Beatrice, you finished the tutorial with this accomplishment of yours. You now have a firm grasp of this world’s mechanics. Your main and final mission now is to liberate the world from the Shadow Forces.]

I stared at the panel, my mouth slightly closed. All those days, weeks, and possibly even months of hard work—just a tutorial? I felt a mix of disbelief and dread. If this is just the tutorial, and it had taken me hours to take down a single enemy thing, then I had to brace myself for what is truly ahead. The weight of it all hit me like a ton of steel. My heart raced with the realization of the real challenge that lay ahead.

But then I glanced down at the cutlass in my hand. Despite the nerve-wracking revelation, it's undeniably a beautiful weapon. I couldn’t deny the allure of its craftsmanship, and it gave me a small sense of comfort. Well, at least I had something cool to show for all my efforts.

I took a deep breath and accepted the fact that I am now fully immersed in this new world. My journey so far had been a rollercoaster—sometimes uneventful, other times plagued by logistical nightmares. Yet, there is something gratifying about finally completing the tutorial, even if it seemed like a small victory in the grand scheme of things.

I tapped the panel, which revealed the next set of rewards:

[Rewards For Completing the Tutorial]

* 500 million Credits

* 5 Cognitive Warrior Cores

* New Structures

* New Units

The credits are a huge boost, and the prospect of new structures and units is intriguing. But those Cognitive Warrior Cores—what in the world are they? They sound important, potentially game-changing. I accepted the rewards and found myself holding five new computer chips.

As I examined one of the chips under the pedestal’s bright light, something incredible happened. The entire structure began to levitate, lifting off the ground with a gentle hum. My initial reaction is pure panic—I am certain I am about to be crushed or caught in some kind of catastrophic collapse. But as the minutes passed, it became clear that the structure isn't falling apart; it's repairing itself.