LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 148: Chapter 147
Alex sat cross-legged in his usual spot, deep in his session of introspection and cultivation. His flowstrike technique had grown more refined over the past month, and his body moved in perfect harmony with the rhythm of his surroundings. Every breath, every pulse of his heart, was in sync with the natural world. It was a serene moment—until a sudden, startling noise echoed in his mind.
Ding.
A small screen appeared before his eyes, hovering in the air like a hologram. Alex blinked in surprise. The Cognichip had always been a silent, instinctive presence—its functions activating without fanfare or explanation. But now, there were sounds and colurs accompanying the words displayed on the screen.
[Cognichip fully activated.]
Alex's heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened, and his breathing slowed. What? This was completely new. The Cognichip had never spoken, never displayed any sort of visual cue like this. It had always operated in the background, the usual bland status, providing subtle guidance, tracking his progress in mental strength cultivation. But now, it was different—direct and communicative.
Before Alex could even process the shock, more words appeared.
[Until now, the Cognichip has been functioning at half capacity due to a weak soul.]
He stared at the message, dumbfounded. Half capacity? All this time, he had been using something incomplete, limited. How was that even possible?
[At level 5 mental strength, the soul has finally been activated and can now be trained.]
Alex felt his entire world shift. His soul—his soul—was now active? He had always thought mental strength was the key to his abilities, but now the Cognichip was telling him that his soul had been dormant, or at least, untrained until this moment.
Questions flooded his mind. He had so many things he needed to know, but the shock left him momentarily speechless. Finally, he collected his thoughts and asked aloud, "What's going on?"
More words appeared on the screen.
[The Cognichip has now fully integrated with the user's soul. Prior to this, the user's weak soul could not support the full functionality of the system. As the soul strengthens, new capabilities will become available, and existing functions will operate with full efficiency.]
Alex sat back, trying to absorb the information. He had always assumed his mental strength was the limiter of his abilities. He hadn't even considered that his soul played such a pivotal role. And now, with his soul active, things were about to change.
"Give me a full breakdown of the ability's functions," he requested, feeling a mix of anticipation and nervousness.
The screen flickered for a moment, and then new words appeared.
[The Cognichip allows complete and perfect stimulation of any space the user is in. In the virtual space created by the system, anything is possible.]
Alex's mind raced as he read those words. Cognichip has always been able to make perfect stimulation, how is the current ability any different?.
The screen flickered more with new words appearing as if to answer his doubt.
[ Anything is possible. While the ability is similar to previous stimulation, the Cognichip could create a perfect virtual space where the rules of reality didn't apply. He could simulate anything, experiment with anything, and the results would be flawless.]
Another line of text appeared.
[The user's soul can now be trained and strengthened further, unlocking more of the system's potential.]
Alex's thoughts whirled. "Where the rule of reality doesn't apply", which means he can literally play God in the stimulation, and still not be worried that experimental results will be flawed by his understanding, he can do anything and be anything, no more short duration on smartmode, no more of the inability to change research direction once smart mode is initiated, it's like having a pocket world within you and If the soul could be trained, then that meant there was more beyond level 5 mental strength. He had felt the sense of finality when he reached level 5, but now he realized that was just the mental strength limit. The soul was a whole other level, something entirely new to him. His journey wasn't over—it was just beginning.
He sat there, staring at the screen, feeling a strange mix of excitement and apprehension. The Cognichip had always been his hidden ace, something he could rely on in a world that was growing increasingly chaotic with the rise of ability users. But now, with the full potential of the Cognichip finally being revealed, Alex wasn't sure what to make of it.
One thing was clear: his path had changed. He had thought that the ultimate goal was reaching the peak of mental strength, but now, it seemed like his soul would be the key to unlocking even greater heights.
"Can you simulate my soul?" Alex asked, still testing the limits of what this new, fully activated Cognichip could do.
The response was immediate.
[The user's soul can now be simulated and analyzed, allowing for optimization and training. However, further soul strengthening is required to unlock higher-level simulations.]
Alex nodded to himself, feeling a surge of excitement. He could simulate his soul now, see how it interacted with his body and mind, and possibly train it just like he had with his mental strength. He had no idea how long it would take, or what the process would involve, but the potential was there.
He had been content with his steady progress, quietly cultivating his flowstrike technique and guiding the online empire. But now, with the Cognichip's full capabilities unlocked, his scope had widened. He wasn't just a step ahead of the average ability user—he was playing an entirely different game.
Alex closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He would take things slowly, just as he always had. There was no need to rush, no need to jump headfirst into training his soul without understanding the consequences. The Cognichip would guide him, just as it always had, and he would trust in its capabilities.
For now, he would continue refining his techniques, optimizing his flowstrike cultivation with the new insights from his introspection and extrospection. He would use the virtual space to experiment, to push his limits, and to explore the full extent of his abilities.
And when the time was right, he would delve into the mysteries of his soul, training it just as he had trained his mind