章節 9: Base 1

Troy opened his eyes to a world unlike anything he had ever seen. Above him, the sky was a swirling expanse of indigo and silver, fragmented by patches of glowing mist that twisted through the air like living tendrils. Massive trees towered overhead, their trunks shimmering with bioluminescence. Leaves the size of shields radiated faint pulses of light, casting a surreal glow over the forest floor.

He inhaled deeply, the air thick with humidity and something else—something tangible, yet invisible. It felt like the energy from his dream, from the lab, the very essence of life itself. The air seemed charged with it, crackling faintly around him, flowing into him with every breath he took. He could feel it coursing through his veins, sharpening his thoughts, making his senses come alive.

He stood slowly, his body still weak from the ascension, but his mind... his mind felt stronger than it ever had. The dull pain that had gnawed at his thoughts in Base 0 was gone, replaced by a clarity that startled him. Every detail of the rainforest stood out—the shifting hues of the plants, the soft hum of energy in the air, the faint vibrations beneath his feet as if the world itself was alive, breathing alongside him.

Troy touched the nearest tree, his fingers brushing against its glowing bark. He could feel the energy radiating from it, feeding into the waves that pulsed in the air. Everything here thrived on this energy, just as he did now. The plants, the trees, the very soil beneath his feet—it all pulsed with the rhythm of energy. He stood still for a moment, simply absorbing it.

The realization hit him with a strange calm: This is Base 1.

Troy remained still, absorbing the energy that seemed to fill the very air around him. It was a strange feeling—being here, in this place of pulsing light and ancient trees—after everything he had gone through. The lab, the experiments, the constant cycle of death and revival—they felt distant now, as though they had happened in another life. And yet, the scars they left on him were still fresh, even if they weren't visible.

He took a deep breath, his thoughts growing heavier. What now?

He had made it to Base 1, but what did that mean? Here, standing in the heart of this magical forest, he was free for the first time in his life, but freedom felt strangely hollow. The truth was, Troy didn't know who he was. He had no identity beyond the number they had given him in the lab. No name, no past, no home. He was just a product of the experiments—one of many discarded lives.

The realization sent a chill through him, a stark contrast to the warmth of the energy he could feel swirling in the atmosphere. I'm no one.

The words echoed in his mind, more real now than ever before. In the lab, he had been MX001, a test subject created and used for a single purpose. Now, in this realm where strength and power were the only currencies that mattered, he was even less than that. He was a stranger in a strange world, a world that had no use for the weak or untrained. He was an outsider, arriving with nothing, while those who had grown up here—trained here—were already miles ahead of him.

Troy could feel the weight of that realization pressing down on him, and he clenched his fists at his sides. He had been tossed into Base 1 with no preparation, no guidance, and no understanding of how things worked. Most people in Base 1 had been coming here since they were young, their bodies resting in Base 0 while they trained in this world, their power growing stronger each time they ascended.

But him? He was new. Fresh. He had only just touched the surface of what was possible here, and already he felt the distance between himself and the others who had come before him.

I'm behind.

The thought stung, but it was undeniable. Here, like Base 0, strength was everything. And while Troy could feel the energy in the air feeding into his brainwaves, making him sharper, stronger—it wasn't enough. Not yet.

He had seen flashes of what others could do. The scientists in the lab had spoken of neurosyncers who could shape reality, manipulate the world around them with their minds. People who had ascended early, honing their skills over years until they became something more. He was nowhere near that level. He barely understood the energy pulsing around him, let alone how to use it to its full potential.

The forest felt vast, and though the energy within it was helping him grow, Troy knew he couldn't wander aimlessly forever. He couldn't hope to survive, let alone thrive, without learning more—about Base 1, about how the world worked, about what he could become if he pushed himself further.

He looked up at the glowing canopy of trees, the light filtering down in soft waves, and felt a flicker of something. Not hope, exactly, but determination.

I need to find civilization.

It was the only way. He couldn't afford to stay lost in the forest, hoping for answers to fall into his lap. He needed to find others—people who understood Base 1, people who could give him knowledge. He needed to understand the rules, the dangers, and most importantly, how to grow stronger. If he stayed here, alone, he would fall behind even more. And if he fell behind too far, he would be easy prey for the others who had spent their lives mastering this realm.

Troy took a deep breath, letting the mental energy fill his lungs, strengthen his mind. His path was clear now. He couldn't dwell on the past—the lab, the experiments, the fact that he had been used and discarded. He couldn't focus on what he didn't have. What mattered now was survival, and survival in Base 1 meant learning. Growing. Evolving.

He set his jaw, his mind clearer than it had been in days.

With a final glance at the towering trees and the shimmering mist swirling through the air, Troy began to move. His body still felt weak, but his mind... his mind felt alive. It thrummed with the pulse of the forest, and with every step he took, he could feel the mental energy continuing to strengthen him.

He didn't know where the path would lead, but he had no choice but to follow it.

Troy was done being lost. It was time to find his place in this world.

As he pushed deeper into the rainforest, the glow of the plants around him seemed to intensify, as if they sensed his resolve. The air thickened with energy, almost palpable now. It hummed beneath his skin, a constant reminder that here, in Base 1, the rules of base 0 no longer applied.

Each step Troy took seemed to sync him more deeply with the strange, ethereal pulse of Base 1. The mental energy here wasn't just ambient—it was alive, responding to his presence, subtly shifting and flowing around him. He could feel it, a constant hum beneath the surface, feeding into his thoughts, his very being. It was both exhilarating and unsettling. He had never experienced anything like it, and yet it felt almost... natural, as though he was meant to exist in this place, even if he was far from understanding it.

His mind raced as he pushed forward, weaving through the towering trees, the faint glow of bioluminescent flora lighting his path. He had no idea how far he would have to travel, how vast this rainforest was, or if he was even headed in the right direction. But standing still, staying lost in his own thoughts, wasn't an option. Not anymore.

The air grew thicker the further he ventured, and with it came a sense of pressure—like the world was pressing in on him, testing his mental strength. It wasn't painful, not exactly, but it was overwhelming. His mind buzzed with the sheer weight of the energy around him, his thoughts sharper, more focused, but also more fragile, as if one misstep could shatter the control he was barely holding onto.

Troy forced himself to keep moving, driven by the gnawing need to find others. Civilization. He needed answers. He needed to understand this world, to figure out his place in it. Without that knowledge, he was just stumbling in the dark, waiting to be consumed by whatever dangers lay ahead.

But as the minutes stretched into hours, a new thought began to worm its way into his mind.

Who am I supposed to be?

Troy slowed his pace, his footsteps becoming more deliberate. The forest seemed to shift around him, the light from the glowing plants dimming slightly as if sensing his hesitation. The question lingered, heavy and unsettling. In the lab, he had been a tool—nothing more than a vessel for the scientists to exploit. He had been a genetic failure, something less than human. But now, here in Base 1, where the rules were different, who was he supposed to become?

He had no identity. No history. He was starting from nothing. A ghost. A flicker of bitterness welled up inside him. Most of the people who ascended to Base 1 had a purpose, a clear path to follow. They were born into families, into societies that prepared them for this realm, that trained them to use the energy that flowed through the air. But Troy... Troy had no such advantage. He had only the fragmented memories of the lab, the endless revivals, and the hollow feeling of being discarded. Hell, he had never even seen his own reflection.

Troy clenched his fists, the realization tightening his chest. I'm nothing. The thought was harsh, but it was the truth. Here, in Base 1, he had no place. No purpose. He was far behind the others who had ascended before him, people who had been sharpening their abilities for years while he was barely learning to navigate this strange new world.

But as the weight of that thought pressed down on him, something inside Troy resisted. It was faint, barely more than a whisper, but it was there—the same defiant spark that had kept him alive through the endless cycles of death and revival. The same spark that had driven him to ascend in the first place.

I won't be nothing.

The resolve hardened in his chest, fueled by a quiet anger that simmered just beneath the surface. He didn't know who he was supposed to be, not yet, but he knew one thing for certain: he wouldn't let this world consume him. He wouldn't be swallowed by the overwhelming power of Base 1 or fall behind the others who had trained for this their entire lives.

He would find a way.

Troy quickened his pace, pushing the doubts from his mind. He would find civilization, find others who could teach him what he needed to know. He didn't care how far he had to travel, how dangerous the journey was. The people of Base 1 had spent years building their strength, but they hadn't been through what he had. They didn't know what it meant to be broken and rebuilt over and over again, to survive the kind of torment that should have destroyed him.

He had something they didn't.

Resilience.

With that thought burning in his mind, Troy pressed forward, deeper into the glowing heart of the forest. The mental energy around him pulsed in rhythm with his steps, feeding into his thoughts, sharpening his resolve. He could feel it now—stronger, clearer than before. The energy wasn't just something in the air. It was something he could use, something he could bend to his will if he learned how.

The rainforest became denser, the glow of the plants intensifying as the air thickened with mental energy. The ground beneath him seemed to pulse with life, vibrating faintly with every step he took. And with every breath, he felt himself growing more attuned to the world around him. The more he walked, the more the doubts that had plagued him began to fade, replaced by a growing determination.

He was behind, yes. He had no identity, no place. But that didn't matter.

He would carve out his own path. He would find the answers he needed, gain the knowledge that would make him stronger. And once he did, he would become something more than just a discarded experiment.

The forest stretched on before him, but now it didn't seem quite as vast, quite as intimidating. The mental energy crackled in the air, feeding his thoughts, fueling his drive. And in the distance, through the thick mist, Troy saw the faint outline of something new—something manmade.

A city.

His pulse quickened, and without hesitation, Troy made his way toward it.

This was where the real journey begins.