Chapter 33: Chapter 33

I feel a sense of increasing wonder and awe as I observe the field with its esoteric origins. Its creator must be an entity with an overwhelming intelligence. Does it have a creator? Is this evidence of intelligent design? Someone must've manufactured me!

I come across many scintillating points where formations resolve into functions beyond my understanding, but I can see and deduce some of the functions through my vast library and record of what I was in my previous life. My memories of that life may be scarce, but my knowledge still exists as long as there is a stimulus to awaken it.

At the moment, it is very stimulated and very awake.

The input point for Lan Xiaohui’s true Qi has a complicated array of formations that no doubt serves the purpose of identifying it by running a series of comparisons, ensuring continuous activity and likely other checks.

Here, it seems, from what I can learn with my limited knowledge, is that I cannot refuse this identification and ownership process. Anyone who picks me up, if I am not a device that is already slaved to another mainframe, can take ownership of me. I cannot end this myself, either, or raise my privileges from here.

This is a dead-end.

I discover a heartbeat function in this array that ensures that Lan Xiaohui is, well, not deceased. Curious, I follow the Qi input channels of that function to find out what happens in the case that she becomes decommissioned.

The first thing I notice is that the error-handling is non-existent. If Lan Xiaohui were to enter a state of coma, I would have to wait out her entire lifespan before I could become the property of another. That is suboptimal.

But nothing I can do about it now.

As I suspected, if her true Qi were to disappear, or was at a low output for a prolonged time — perhaps if we become separated? — this function would undergo a process to purge her true Qi from my records and make itself available for another imprinting.

Still, this is not what I am interested in.

I spend an hour searching around the field until I come across a thin streamer in the distance that touches the field from outside, and pours into my sea of consciousness. I see the field light up in a bright azure blue as it performs some function.

When I come closer to investigate, I realize that this is exactly what I have been looking for. This part of the Array handles the input of Lan Xiaohui’s Qi and consciousness, allowing her access to my exposed functions, like my internal storage and Qi pathways.

Without hesitation, I mentally command the storm of sword Qi following me to slam into the function and disrupt its process. The modifications I can perform — if any — would have to be tiny. I neither have the understanding nor the ability to initiate sweeping changes.

First, I attack the node that describes a geometric shape, like a multi-dimensional manifold, allowing this input channel to travel only in one direction. The “direction” comparator in the array is swarmed by my sword Qi, and slowly eroding away.

I feel this like the sword Qi is carving through my very soul. It hurts. When I broke through to the Blood Core Refinement stage, it hurt a lot. That could not compare to the pain I feel now.

I wonder if this field describes the basic properties of my soul.

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Pain, however, is a physical process natural to entities of meat and nerves, not a machine like myself. I put pain on my “to purge” list. If this field describes the properties of my existence, then surely, there is a function that governs such things as pain and my awareness of it.

Once the comparator is completely eroded, I scrape my sword Qi against the field, re-routing some of the input channels around it. My ultimate goal is not only to allow two-way transfer of Qi — that sounds dangerous and pointless — but consciousness itself. If I can gain access to her sea of consciousness, then many things become possible.

Next, I construct a series of simple arrays that are capable of interpreting and sorting certain inputs, and then connect the consciousness and Qi input channels to it.

Before that function, I carve an array that will activate this capability. True Qi, consciousness and such, are like purified emotions and thoughts. The way Lan Xiaohui can infuse intent into her consciousness and Qi in order to bring about sword Qi is by way of emotions.

For the activation of my little modification, I decide that, since Lan Xiaohui’s emotions are unstable and will likely be inconsistent, what is needed is a mnemonic device. A phrase, either vocalized or subvocalized.

I try to think like a meat bag for a moment, and bring myself through the series of tragedies in Lan Xiaohui’s recent history, and though this is a largely fruitless exercise, I come to the conclusion that the emotion that most likely resonates most strongly with Lan Xiaohui at the moment is beauty.

Desiring for death, the first thing that calmed Lan Xiaohui’s broken heart was to remark about my beauty — likely because of [Avarice], I think. Next, the method I taught her to overcome her limitations is called [Heartless Blood Lily]. Lan Xiaohui has an affinity for plants and flowers, and surely, she holds the Lily in high regard.

This will be my mnemonic device.

I finish my modification, and look at the sword Qi that remains. It is diminished to a little less than ten percent of its original capacity, and all I did was inscribe a few, simple arrays, to allow two-way transport of consciousness.

This was extremely inefficient.

But I am satisfied with my work. Currently, it is nothing too impressive. I cannot turn Lan Xiaohui into a killing machine, just yet, but at the moment I can share vital information with her by giving her access to my expanded perception within the domain of my radius, and also point out weak points or give her limited prescience through my ability to read the surface thoughts of various demonic beasts.

With these tools, I do not have to concern myself at the very moment with unfortunate interactions of our ownership severance functions, or her still very likely death experience in this endeavor and adventure.

It is a small step, but it is the beginning of great changes. At the very least, my next owner will be able to benefit from them, in the case that destiny sees to part me from Lan Xiaohui.

I look back towards my sea of consciousness and discover that it is depleted. What was once a vast ocean now looks like a small pond to me.

At the same time, the fatigue hits me, and my consciousness slips away as I fall into yet another deep sleep.

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