Ch- 7 "The Power Within"

In the quiet recesses of a digital realm, a voice echoed:

[Beep! Integration successful!]

[On Standby mode till further instructions.]

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[Beep! Agility increased by .1]

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[Beep! Scan initiated!]

[Beep! Scan complete! No strange existences were found in the Host's mind!]

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[Beep! Full body Scan initiated!]

[Beep! Scan complete!] [Swayam Shekhawat. Strength: 1.4, Agility: 1.5, Vitality: 2.5, Status: Slightly exhausted.]

[No A.I. Chip detected in the Host's body!]

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[Beep! Catalogue View Initiated!]

Catalogue End

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Upon reading the Catalogue, Swayam found himself in an unusual state of silence. His outward composure betrayed nothing, but inside his mind, a storm raged, unleashing a barrage of questions.

'Questions about: What? Why? How? and By Who?'

These were the honest inquiries that flooded his thoughts when someone unexpectedly, perhaps even clandestinely, aided him.

Suspicion would be the natural response to such unforeseen assistance. After all, who could anticipate acquiring an A.I. Chip merely by reading about it?

"Weird, Right?" he mused, deep in contemplation.

However, as Swayam realized that his pondering led him nowhere, he chose to embrace his unique situation. With a newfound A.I. Chip at his disposal, he embarked on a journey of experimentation. Who could resist the temptation of wielding such a fortuitous advantage?

It mattered little to him if some enigmatic entity, a Random Omniscient Being, was playing puppeteer. What power did he possess to challenge them or elicit guilt? (Unbeknownst to him, another flag of recklessness unfurled, one that would haunt him in the days to come.)

***

"A.I. Chip, initiate a comprehensive scan of both my body and mind," I inquisitively requested, driven by the curiosity that had gripped me ever since my rebirth could finally be satiated with this enigmatic technology—a quest to uncover any uniqueness within me.

[Beep! Task Established!]

[Initiating a deep-dive scan!]

[Task in progress: 23% complete and increasing]

[45%...69%...84%...100% Complete!]

To my astonishment, the A.I. Chip conjured a 3D holographic projection that unveiled a treasure trove of information about myself.

[Beep! Deep-Dive Status!

Name: Swayam Shekhawat

Gender: Male

Age: 18 (40)

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Physical Stats:

Strength: 1.4, Agility: 1.5, Vitality: 2.5

Status: Healthy

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Special:

Extraction & Integration, A.I. Chip.

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Abilities: Ambidextrous, Photographic Memory, Intuition.

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Skills: Cooking, Singing, Dancing, Acting, Swimming, Bargaining, Concentration, Karate, Muay Thai, Tai Chi, CQC, ... and many more.

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Energies:

Qi

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Life span: 123 Years.]

***

"Huh? I know almost everything about myself, but why don't I know anything about 'Extraction & Integration'? And why do I feel that it also has something to do with the A.I. Chip fusing with me? How do I even have it? Is this my so-called 'Golden Finger' which I got during or maybe even after the reincarnation? Or did I already have that, even before my reincarnation? Mayday! Mayday! Too much thinking initiated. Brain about to crash!" he thought, overwhelmed by his own questions.

"Jokes aside, why didn't it ever activate before? Are there some conditions required to be fulfilled to be able to use it? And if there are conditions, then what are those? Let's calm down and think properly."

"Let's rule out the possibility that I had that power even before my reincarnation, because, to be honest, there were a lot of things and/or powers which I desired during my previous turn." Making a mental note about this, he continued his contemplation.

"Now, let's recalculate the events which transpired the previous night: I had an epiphany about my previous turn's passion of becoming a writer, so I started by trying to have the mindset of a writer by reading one of my favorite stories. 'Warlock of the Magus World'. Also while doing so, I noted some inconsistencies throughout the first and second chapters. After which, when I got to the A.I. Chip part, I deeply thought about how I can better utilize it than Fang Ming. In short, I 'desired' it.

And then after that, a sharp pain suddenly assaulted my brain, which was most probably due to the integration of the A.I. Chip, causing me to blackout."

Reviewing the events from the previous night, he fixated on a word that likely held the key to 'Extraction & Integration.'

And that word was "desire."

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As for how desire played a pivotal role in all this, well, to uncover that, you'll have to continue reading this story and explore it in the next chapter.