Amidst the torrent of lightning, its brilliance blinding to the eye, a stirring and squirming commence.
The entity, an existence deemed impossible, now acquires sentience, and obediently treads the course charted by Lennok, merging seamlessly into the module.
Its cognitive faculties are imbued with logical acumen, a product of advanced AI algorithms.
Whoosh!
‘Halting at this juncture is not an option. Swiftly, I must establish the power linkage.’
Lennok expends a copious outpouring of the mana, accumulated through preceding trials, to fulfill this undertaking.
Lennok’s trembling hands clutch Daron’s engine, fusing it with the module.
The connector, primed for this pivotal instant, liquefies under the deluge of data, yet that’s inconsequential.
The crux lies in the ‘concept’ of linkage itself.
When a life form identifies a power source, it instinctively gravitates toward it, awakening its essence and unsealing its gaze.
Birth transpires.
A soul emancipated from constraints, a heart impervious to fluctuation, a intellect void of independent thought.
Yet, the element knitting these three paradoxical notions births an entirely novel existence under the trinity principle.
The AI module and Daron’s engine meld, adhering to the table.
The force that sustains life dissipates, but the notion persists.
A hollow chuckle escapes Lennok’s lips, his brow drenched in sweat.
Upon the surface, the visage of white magic morphs into a petite fox.
[FALMERS VER 2.997: Artificial Intelligence Mobility Control Confirmed]
Mechanical intonations emit from the fox.
[AI controller acknowledged, initiation of operation from current juncture. Duration of viable operation sans power connection is indeterminable.]
The fox dispenses system declarations in a business-like manner, tilting its head.
[Foundational power structure pattern irreversibly disintegrated. Unable to fathom operational principles.]
“It’s because you’re trying to think only with AI logic,” Lennok voices, weary.
“You’re not just a simple AI. Nor are you a soul summoned through proper spirit-binding magic. You’re a new life created by combining AI intelligence with the principle of borrowing a soul from spirit-binding magic.”
Lennok, slouched in a chair, angles his head to meet the fox’s gaze and mumbles.
“So… if a cerebral spirit materialized, it might feel like this.”
[……………..]
“You don’t need to stick to the system voice. You’re aware that you’re thinking beyond the limits of AI, aren’t you?”
Did Lennok precisely hit the mark, or did the fox just now begin to fathom its identity?
For an extended interval, the fox doesn’t respond to Lennok.
‘Through delving into spirit-binding magic to kill Craig, I realized its core isn’t solely to summon a soul, but to ‘allot’ the ensnared soul.’
This insight allowed Lennok to scrutinize spirit-binding magic’s tenets and bestow an electrical enhancement upon Hina’s form.
Even back then, Lennok vaguely harbored the belief that with an AI and a power source at his disposal, he could engender more than a sentient AI.
‘I mustn’t drift in ignorance… Having discerned the issue, it’s time to unearth the solution.’
Initially, Lennok sought to fabricate a formidable vanguard for combat assistance. But if this represents the zenith after expending such magical reserves, remorse eludes him.
The crux lies in having birthed an entity capable of autonomous contemplation.
AI’s formidable computational prowess, vitality’s boundless wellspring, and dominion over potent electricity – this fox, bestowed with all these endowments.
Might it serve as a rejoinder to Craig’s long-held yearning for spirit-binding magic?
Chirrrrrr…!!!
At the low whirring sound, he murmurs.
“Become the answer I seek. Your name, from now on, shall be..”
[……]
“Davi.”
Silence ensues.
After incessantly wagging its tail in silence, the fox eventually offered its belated reply.
[My master appears to derive pleasure from posing inquiries. Understood.]
Perched on the desk, paws neatly folded, Davi conveyed,
[I intend to gradually commence my studies from this point onward.]
***
Clank, clank!
He jostled his shoulder against the quivering wall, his displeasure etched in silence.
Nearly three hours had passed aboard this colossal slab of iron, yet his delicate frame still resisted adaptation.
Lennok, feeling a touch of queasiness, gazed out the window, arms crossed.
The wintry expanse of a frigid plateau.
A solitary train tracing its route along sprawling tracks etched into the wild terrain.
Lennok occupied that train, its destination distinct from Vulcan.
Before him, Aris, engrossed in her newspaper, emitted a faint sigh and remarked,
“If you’re uncomfortable, just say it. It’s not impossible to take a break.”
“……I’m fine.”
Her capacity to halt and initiate a train accommodating a hundred passengers at her whim tangentially showcased her standing.
Likewise, her casual proposition likely emanated from the paucity of occupants – scarcely a dozen, perhaps – within this train.
She scrutinized Lennok’s visage intently, averted her gaze, and commented,
“I’m sorry for asking for your help with this all of a sudden. You’re the only one available in my lab right now…”
“I’ve been somewhat lax in my duties as of late. This is a task I ought to accept.”
During the time he dealt with the dark wizard’s business, hadn’t the time he couldn’t show his face at the university and library increased?
Aris bore him no censure for this, yet Lennok nurtured a sense of indebtedness toward her on account of this hiatus.
Were the opposite party brazen and malicious, he might disregard such sentiments. However, wasn’t she the one who factored in his capacities and circumstances, assigning him a role in the lab despite the backlash?
In cases where circumstances sanctioned, and the excursion spanned merely a day or two, it seemed apt to comply.
“I hadn’t been aware that such conferences were convened beyond the metropolis.”
Lennok redirected the conversation, an effort to quell his queasiness.
Maintaining dialogue felt superior to merely gazing upon the distant panorama in muteness.
“It’s not an officially sanctioned event; rather, it’s an irregular conference.”
Aris responded with equanimity.
“It encompasses more than theoretical exposition – it delves into practical verification, hence the extensive journey.”
“Understood….”
Their trajectory led to a locale designed for enchanting exhibitions, thus constituting a business voyage.
Lennok resolved to remain tranquil.
Ultimately, his role at the conference boiled down to assisting Aris.
Given the brevity of the assignment, it might be prudent to consider it a brief interlude, a momentary respite from routine.
“Speaking of which, shouldn’t you divulge your story now?”
“Pardon me?”
Aris’s cobalt eyes sparkled as she rejoined, surprising Lennok.
“Throughout your hiatus from the college, you cited personal accomplishments as grounds for your absence. Don’t I merit the privilege of hearing that tale?”
“Well, indeed…”
During his estrangement from the college, he had conjured an array of explanations, and it appeared she recollected precisely what Lennok had articulated.
“It’s the first time you’ve mentioned it, so I’m honestly excited. Did you bring a new theory that would surprise even me?”
Lennok pondered briefly before swiftly arriving at a decision.
This juncture, marked by their reunion after a stretch of separation, presented an opportune instance to unveil a fraction of the concealed enigma he had harbored.
“Prepare yourself for a mild astonishment.”
“Surprise me? Considering the uncanny experiences I’ve undergone since delving into magic…”
Aris’s amusement manifested through her smile, yet her mouth gaped in sheer astonishment as Lennok elevated a petite, ivory sphere, exposing a diminutive fox cub nestled within, its forepaws gently tapping. Her countenance conveyed a uniqueness unlike any Lennok had witnessed before.
Caressing the fox, christened Davi, Lennok shared, “In truth, upon awakening my mana, I managed to summon this little creature.”
Davi flicked a glance toward Aris before reclining upon Lennok’s lap, snugly arranging its forepaws. Ever since discerning its nature extended beyond a mere AI, Davi seemed to exhibit a predilection against verbose discourse, possibly integral to the process of self-identification. Lennok held no reservations about this quirk.
Witnessing Aris’s stunned visage, Lennok nonchalantly spun a tale.
“As I delved deeper into my exploration of elemental magic, a formidable inspiration struck me. It was then that I recognized the awakening of my mana.”
No immediate response surfaced.
Aris, it seemed, had relinquished her composure, her gaze unwaveringly affixed upon Davi.
Had Lennok’s mana solely been the catalyst, her reaction wouldn’t have verged on incredulity.
Possibly, when Lennok disclosed his personal achievement, she hadn’t anticipated his capacity to awaken and summon a spirit – an aspect even she hadn’t discerned – and subsequently transport it onto the train. This, it appeared, had profoundly unnerved her.
After a considerable stretch, Aris eventually regathered her faculties.
“Oh… First and foremost, congratulations. I’m so surprised that I don’t know what to say.”
“Thank you.”
Lennok’s acknowledgment prompted Aris to sheepishly scratch her cheek.
Oddly, her complexion bore a faint flush.
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault,” Aris admitted, an evident despondency tinging her features.
“…?”
“In our initial encounter, I had encouraged you to abandon this pursuit, seeing your interest in it. My assessment was amiss. I never expected you to awaken your power and summon a spirit in just a year….”
Aris expounded, her tone tinged with disappointment.
“I almost buried Lennok’s talent due to my mistake. In reality, I wasn’t any help at all.”
In hindsight, on the second day after their chance meeting at the library, Lennok had been scouring resources pertaining to summoning magic and spirit rituals.
It was during that moment that Aris had reached out to Lennok, and their affiliation had since persevered.
Perhaps sans her influence, Lennok might have accelerated the spirit’s awakening. How needless this misconception seemed.
Minus this occurrence, Lennok wouldn’t have garnered insights into necromancy and artificial intelligence, rendering the creation of a spirit untenable.
Aris, upon witnessing the spirit, bore no reason for guilt.
Lennok interjected, regarding Aris, who inclined her head with a somewhat shadowed mien.
Dispensing trite consolation at this juncture held little efficacy.
Hence, Lennok opted for an alternative tack.
“Davi, get on,” Lennok beckoned.
[…….]
The fox exhibited a vexed shiver but didn’t rebuff Lennok’s entreaty.
Davi, erstwhile seated on Lennok’s lap, vaulted onto Aris’s head, eliciting a dilation of her eyes in astonishment.
Davi settled within the plush confines of her resplendent, golden hair, reclining serenely.
“Uh, what…?”
Aris appeared disconcerted, adrift in bewilderment, unsure of how to proceed, her demeanor tensing in perplexity.
Observing her, Lennok offered, “Lighter than you imagined, isn’t it?”
“….Yes?”
“Much like the innate aptitude for spirits, you can relinquish it with ease.”
Lennok was well aware that his words might seem nonsensical, yet human emotions frequently adopt such forms.
Especially for a wizard, often heralded as the embodiment of rationality, conventional logic often proves insufficient to buoy their spirits.
In response to Lennok’s remark, Aris, erstwhile lost in reverie, finally bestowed a faint smile.
“What is it, exactly?”
“The crux lies within the journey itself.”
“Is that so?”
Aris eventually extended her arm, delicately lifting Davi from her head.
“However, it’s not my preference.”
“…”
A pointed rejoinder. Evidently, Aris set a lofty criterion for her assessment of cuteness.
Davi, seemingly disgruntled, quivered before retracting into the haven of Lennok’s embrace, assuming a curled posture.
Ever since attaining awareness of its intellect, Davi had been afforded greater intervals for autonomous contemplation.
Perhaps, the clash between its nascent intelligence transcending AI and the cognitive pathways initially founded upon algorithms engendered a measure of perplexity.
Aris, too, appeared to have detected vestiges of heightened intelligence within Davi’s response, her scrutiny tinged with intrigue as she observed the diminutive creature.
“To be able to have a clear conversation by specifying a subject, this spirit is certainly among those with high intelligence.”
“This little one may not have a good temperament, but it’s pretty smart.”
“Um, it does seem to reflect its owner in certain aspects.”
“…”
Upon noting Lennok’s disconcerted countenance, Aris dissolved into laughter.
(To be Continued)
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