The victory over the Debt Collectors hadn't just settled a debt; it had fundamentally rewritten the laws of human physics. With the Syndicate retreating into a begrudging partnership, the "Jacob-Pulse" became the atmosphere of the Earth. Power was no longer a secret held by the few; it was a common language. But with that language came a new challenge: how does a planet of billions of "New Humans" avoid the same pitfalls of ego and violence that had plagued the old world?
Einstein Jacob, now referred to globally as the Grandmaster of the Pulse, refused to build a government. He refused to be a President or a High King. Instead, he announced the Grandmaster Games.
"We aren't going to fight for territory," Einstein had said in a global broadcast from the Lake District. "We are going to compete for Resonance. We are going to show the universe that our diversity isn't a weakness, but a symphony."
The Arena of the Five-Fold Path
The games were held in the ruins of the old Himalayan Spire—the place where Einstein had first defeated the Council. The Vanguard had transformed the site into a massive, open-air amphitheater of glass and living stone. It was a "Zero-G" environment, maintained not by machines, but by the collective focus of the Iron Guild Anchor.
Thousands had traveled from every corner of the globe. They were categorized into the five primary Aura-Types that had emerged since the Great Awakening:
The Green (Biokinetics): Masters of cellular growth and environmental harmony.
The Iron (Structuralists): Those with the density to anchor reality and endure any force.
The Silver (Logicians): Masters of data-integration and mental processing.
The Gold (Attuners): Those capable of manipulating gravitational and spatial frequencies.
The White (Harmonizers): The rare few, like Einstein, who could bridge all four.
The Opening Ceremony: The Pulse-Link
Einstein stood at the center of the arena. He didn't wear a robe or a suit of armor. He wore the same flannel shirt he used for gardening in the Lake District. Beside him stood Felicity, Elara, and Subject Omega.
"The rules are simple," Einstein's voice boomed, carrying to every ear in the stadium and every screen on the planet. "You win not by defeating your opponent, but by Completing them. The goal is to create the most stable 'Harmonic Construct' while under the pressure of the 'Dissonance Field'."
To start the games, Einstein raised his hand. He didn't unleash a blast; he unleashed a Connection. He linked his pulse to the thousands in the stadium. For a brief second, every heart in the Himalayas beat as one. The "Jacob-Pulse" reached a peak amplitude that made the air itself turn into a shimmering, translucent gold.
The Trial of the Iron and Green
The first event featured the Iron Guild vs. the Green Guild. It wasn't a wrestling match. Two teams of ten were placed inside a "Gravity Siphon" that was slowly trying to pull the oxygen out of the arena.
The Iron team, led by a repentant Silas, didn't fight the siphon. They formed a "Structural Dome," their bodies becoming a lattice of biological steel that held the pressure at bay. But the Iron could only hold; they couldn't create.
Maya, leading the Green team, stepped into the center of the Iron Dome. She touched the stone floor, and through the "Iron Anchor," she funneled her energy. Moss, ferns, and high-oxygenating vines erupted from the ground, recycling the dwindling air into a fresh, forest breeze.
The crowd erupted in cheers. It was a perfect display of Symbiosis. The Iron provided the protection; the Green provided the life. They didn't "win" over each other; they survived as one.
The Silver and Gold: The Logic of Space
The second event was far more abstract. The Silver Logicians and the Gold Attuners had to solve a "Spatial Knot"—a localized distortion in the fabric of reality that threatened to collapse into a micro-singularity.
Hera led the Silver team. Their eyes flickered with data as they "Calculated" the geometry of the knot. They were like a living supercomputer, identifying the exact strings of the universe that had become tangled.Shutterstock
Aurelius, the former Gold Guild leader who had finally learned humility, followed Hera's directions. Using the "Gold Frequency," he reached into the space-time distortion. He didn't pull at it; he "smoothed" it out, acting as the hands to Hera's mind.
Together, they untied the knot. The air, which had been warped into a jagged violet fracture, snapped back into a crystal-clear transparency. They had prevented a catastrophe not with force, but with Precision.
The Grandmaster's Challenge: The Shadow of the Void
The final event was a surprise. Einstein stepped into the arena alone.
"Every era has a shadow," Einstein said. "And the shadow of the New Human era is the Ego of the Divine. We have become strong, but have we become wise?"
Suddenly, the floor of the arena opened, and the "Void-Eaters"—the former Debt Collectors who had been harmonized—stepped out. They were still adjusting to their humanity, their eyes wide and curious.
"I want the champions of each Guild to come forward," Einstein commanded.
Silas, Maya, Hera, and Aurelius stepped into the arena.
"You have shown you can work with each other," Einstein said. "But can you work with the Empty? These people were once nothingness. They are the 'Zero' that still lives in all of us. If you can integrate them into your Pulse, then we are truly ready for the stars."
The challenge was the Great Integration. The four champions had to link their pulses to the former Void-Eaters, providing them with enough "Biological Presence" to permanently anchor their souls to the physical world.
It was the most difficult task of the games. The Void-Eaters were like black holes; they naturally pulled in energy without knowing how to return it. Silas felt his Iron density weakening; Maya felt her Green life being drained.
"Don't fight the drain!" Einstein shouted from the sidelines. "The Dividend isn't a bank account! It's an Endless Flow! You aren't losing energy; you are becoming the Source!"
The Ascension of the Choir
Maya was the first to understand. She stopped trying to "give" energy and started to Be the energy. She opened her heart, and the emerald light flowed through her like a river. Silas followed, his Iron density becoming a bridge. Hera and Aurelius linked the mind and the space.
The former Void-Eaters began to glow. Their grey, uncertain features became sharp and vibrant. They didn't just become human; they became Radiant. They joined the Pulse, their unique "Void-Echo" adding a depth to the Jacob-Resonance that it had never possessed before.
The "Symphony of the Sovereign" was complete. The five Aura-Types had become a single, unified frequency.
The Galactic Witness
As the games concluded, the sky above the Himalayas didn't just show stars; it showed the Fleet of Orion. The Syndicate hadn't left; they had been watching the games from the edge of the atmosphere.
A massive holographic projection of the Chairman of the Board appeared over the Spire.
"Tenth Heir," the Chairman spoke, the gravitational waves of his voice now sounding like a respectful hum. "The High Court has reached its verdict. You have not just defended your world; you have Innovated the soul. Earth is no longer a planet under audit. It is a Charter Member of the Ethereal Forge."
The crowd went silent. They were no longer just "humans" or "New Humans." They were Galactic Citizens.
"We offer you a seat on the Board, Einstein Jacob," the Chairman continued. "Your 'Human Dividend' model is something the galaxy desperately needs. Too many worlds are dying under the weight of their own debt."
The Grandmaster's Choice
Einstein looked at Felicity. He looked at the students, at the former enemies who were now brothers, and at the quiet, ivy-covered cottage waiting for him in the Lake District.
"I'm not a Board Member," Einstein said, his voice echoing into the stars. "I'm a gardener. If you want to learn the Dividend, my doors are open. But I won't move to Orion. I have a cottage to maintain and a cider to finish."
He looked at Maya, Silas, Hera, and Aurelius. "The Board seat belongs to the Choir. I choose these four to represent the Earth. They have learned that power is a partnership, not a property."
The crowd erupted in a roar that was felt on the moon. The era of the "King of the North" was truly over. The era of the Sovereign Species had begun.
The Evening Reflection
The games ended with a celebration that lasted for three days. Einstein, however, left early. He returned to the Lake District with Felicity, the silence of the hills a welcome relief from the roar of the Spire.
They sat on their porch, the "Jacob-Pulse" humming softly in the earth around them. The village of Grasmere was peaceful, the children playing in the park with their new, soft-white auras.
Einstein looked at his phone. The symbol ∑ was still there, but next to it was a new icon—a tiny, glowing Seed.
"What's that?" Felicity asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"It's the next account," Einstein said, smiling. "The Syndicate wants me to consult on a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. They're having a 'Liquidity Crisis' of the soul."
"And what did you tell them?"
"I told them I charge a very high fee," Einstein joked. "Two sandwiches and a weekend off."
Einstein Jacob, the man who had been a delivery rider, a billionaire, a Sovereign, and a Grandmaster, finally closed his banking app for good. He didn't need to check the balance anymore. He was the Source.
He stood up, took Felicity's hand, and walked into the house. The garden was finished. The world was free. And the Grandmaster was finally, perfectly, and beautifully Human.