Chapter Two: The Beginning in a New World
Elias stood in the midst of the dense forest, surrounded by towering trees whose trunks reached toward the red sky, while the heavy air carried a strange scent that mixed mud and blood. The artificial intelligence within his brain didn't stop talking:
"This world is completely different from our original environment. Preliminary analysis suggests the presence of unknown energies. Would you like me to begin testing?"
"Energies? What do you mean?" Elias said, trying to understand what was happening.
"I sense signals resembling magnetic fields, but they are more complex. They may be connected to the energy system in this world."
Before Elias could respond, he turned toward the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. The warriors who had met him earlier returned, but this time, they were accompanied by an elderly man wearing a black cloak adorned with strange symbols.
"Who are you really?" said the old man, his voice stern as his sharp eyes scanned Elias.
"As I said, I don't know how I got here. I'm just a stranger..." Elias hesitated.
The old man interrupted him: "A stranger? This world does not accept strangers easily. If you are lying, you will pay with your life."
"Elias, I recommend staying silent and observing the situation. This person seems to hold authority."
The old man raised his right hand, and dark energy began to gather around it. The air grew heavy, and the ground beneath Elias's feet trembled slightly. "I will test you. If you survive, you may stay. If you do not..."
He didn't finish his sentence, as a wave of black energy shot from his hand at incredible speed. Before Elias could comprehend what was happening, he leaped to the side faster than he expected.
"You reacted based on my instructions. The body is responding faster now."
"What is this?" Elias muttered as he looked at his hands. His body moved in strange ways, as if it was surpassing its natural limits.
The old man looked at him with greater interest: "You are not ordinary. The way you move... it's different from anyone I've ever seen. Who trained you?"
"No one. I just..." Elias hesitated, but he realized telling the truth wouldn't help now.
"I advise you to be cautious. We can use his interest in us to our advantage."
The old man gestured to one of the warriors behind him: "Take him to the village. I want to learn more about him."
Elias was taken to a small village surrounded by high wooden walls. Inside the village, people were training with primitive weapons, but there was something strange about their movements. Energy was visibly emanating from their bodies.
"Elias, I can analyze their movements. It seems they use some form of internal energy. I can help you understand it."
Before Elias could respond, the old man appeared again. "If you want to stay here, you must prove your worth. Tomorrow at sunrise, you will face one of our best warriors. If you survive, you will have a place here. If you die, you will die like the other strangers."
Elias swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the situation. But before he could think of a way out, the AI intervened:
"Elias, this is not impossible. If you gather enough data on their movements, I can design a strategy to defeat them."
Elias closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Tomorrow, he would have to fight for his life. Yet, there was a strange feeling inside him... a mix of fear and excitement, as if he were part of a game whose rules he had yet to understand.
In the middle of the night, as Elias tried to understand what he would face tomorrow, the voice of the AI suddenly came to him:
"I've discovered something intriguing in your brain. It seems I'm not the only program here..."