Boundless Cultivation
Chapter 101 - What the Future Holds

Congratulations, Alaric. As an ‘Ally of the System’, you have accumulated enough reputation points to warrant a special reward. Keeping your previous actions in mind, the system has granted you a suitable reward.

Note - The system trusts your wisdom and acknowledges that you will use the reward at your own risk.

A block of space shimmered before materializing into a sleek, platinum-colored box the size of his palm. He immediately caught the container before it could tumble to the ground.

His excitement was almost bubbling over his chest. So he quickly flipped open the box and examined the two strange components within, carefully preserved inside protective plastic films.

What are these strange objects? Both components seemed to be two metal chips - one circular and one rectangular.

The circular one was larger - the size of an apple - and featured a golden tint on one side. When he flipped it over, he was mesmerized by the prismatic dance of colors upon the surface when it caught the light from different angles.

The rectangular one was the size of a small postage stamp and featured a silver back on one side, while numerous tiny golden pins adorned its back. It was equally fascinating to witness the level of precision required to manufacture these strange components.

His expression turned grim. Alaric had encountered such a level of perfection in only one region of this new world - inside the final zone of the tutorial rift.

Carefully lifting the circular chip near his eye level, he observed something etched onto its golden surface in small letters - Alpha Prime (v1.00). As if in response to his excitement, the system finally pulled a description of the chip.

Neural Network Chip - A neural processor housing the full, uncorrupted, and emergent consciousness of Alpha Prime (v1.00) - a sentient android of immense processing power and tactical intellect that had served as the final boss of the Grey Terminal.

Currently in a passive state. Once embedded into a compatible mechanical host, the chip will awaken and reactivate, restoring Alpha Prime’s sentience and core functions. Acts as the central processor for any host it inhabits, overriding prior control systems.

Similarly, he inspected the second chip in a daze.

Mindlink Interface - An implantable chip designed to tether Alpha Prime’s consciousness directly to the user’s mind via a secure wireless cognitive link.

When installed just below the base of the skull, it allows for unrestricted communication, shared perception, and deep cognitive synchronization—once the Neural Network Chip has been successfully activated.

Warning: Activation may result in partial cohabitation of thought. The consciousness of Alpha Prime is independent and unpredictable. Recommended only for those capable of navigating bonded minds.

Alaric was completely stunned. A plethora of realizations swirled through his mind, unable to settle on a single thread of thought. An equal number of emotions surged through his chest as he slowly digested every strand of insight he could glean from his thoughts.

He was amazed at the craftsmanship of these peculiar components, and his heart was elated, realizing he had a way to restore the version of Alpha Prime’s consciousness he had fought inside the Grey Terminal.

However, his critical side remained skeptical, wondering whether that would be a good idea. After all, Alpha Prime was modelled as a weapon against the system and possibly, against all of humanity.

But he also recalled how reluctant the android had been in executing his designated commands. All he desired was to simply explore the world and understand the purpose of his existence like a human.

Alaric observed the words imprinted on the back neural network chip. Perhaps, it is the same version of the Alpha Prime I’ve defeated. Perhaps not.

Still, if he could trust the system, it would mean he would have a chance to gain a formidable ally.

Alaric had absolutely no idea how to find a suitable host machine for the chip and how everything would work. He was also extremely reluctant to implant a chip at the base of his neck where the android’s consciousness could potentially take over or create problems.

If the system really had any ulterior motives, it wouldn't have warned me. Suddenly, a flash of insight illuminated his mind as he finally deduced why the system had taken so long to deliver its gifts.

Alpha Prime had already defied the system once, and it was probably scheduled to be dismantled and destroyed, even if Alaric hadn’t managed to defeat him. There was no obvious reason for the system to restore or safeguard the android’s central processing unit.

However, the system also wanted to show its faith in Alaric and strengthen its goodwill.

It must have recognized the bond Alaric and Alpha Prime had formed in those final moments and deemed nothing more valuable than offering a chance to reawaken that friendship.

Not to mention, Alpha Prime had been a formidable adversary and would serve as a splendid ally as well - if luck favored him.

Nobody could tell what the future holds. Alaric exhaled a defeated sigh. There was no way to confirm how the system was motivated and dwelling on it would not offer a solution.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

He couldn’t activate the chip without finding a suitable host anyway. So he decided to ponder it at a later date. He would have to think for a long while before determining whether it would be wise to bring the Android’s mind into the real world.

Alaric decided it was time for dinner and for some sleep.

***

Dinner consisted of a platter of grilled meat, assorted vegetables, and a small serving of boiled rice. Alaric ruminated on how his friends were faring and how the evening might’ve unfolded if they were present in the manor to celebrate his ascension to Tier 2.

When the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia became too intense, he exhaled a deep sigh and flashed a grin, mentally wishing his friends success in their pursuits.

Then he retired to bed, but not before grabbing his dream journal. Flipping through its pages, he scoured for patterns and dream signs that would’ve granted him some more insight into his own dreams.

Dream signs were dream symbols or recurring dream elements such as a specific object, event, or even scenery that held a special meaning to the dreamer. These could be used to interpret the meaning of the dreams.

But Alaric intended to use them as an anchor that would grant him another way to attain lucidity while dreaming. Due to their persistent nature, dream signs could be used as a reliable method to become lucid.

If his dreams featured any dream signs, it escaped his notice for now. Alaric closed his dream journal and set it aside. Lying on his back, he centered his attention on his breath, gradually relaxing his body.

In the morning, he would utilize the same method to directly launch himself into the dream world, thereby retaining his lucidity. If it succeeded, he would only have to ground himself to manipulate his dreams.

Within a few minutes, the exhaustion of the day took hold of his body, gently relaxing him as his mind drifted into deep sleep.

***

Alaric awakened with a yawn and rubbed his eyes. The dreams from his previous night still lingered in vivid detail in his mind, and he reached for his dream journal to jot them down.

He had enjoyed a restful sleep, which had completely washed away the fatigue of the previous day. Once again, he had gained lucidity inside the final dream of his sleep cycle, and once again, his excitement jolted him awake after a few seconds.

However, he wasn’t disheartened. In fact, he recorded the details with a smile. After all, his dreams had become much more vivid and prolonged. And he had managed to become lucid in his dreams two nights in a row.

Alaric could practically taste how close he was to experiencing a full-fledged lucid dream. So close to attaining his next ability.

Within 30 minutes, he had documented his dreams, devoured breakfast, and dressed for his morning training. He was excited to discover the solution his father and Edgar had figured out to enable him to adapt to his new body.

***

All three of them arrived at the Whispering Woods as soon as Alaric presented himself inside the count’s study. The chill weather of the morning didn’t do anything to dampen his enthusiasm as he noticed the smiles on both the adults’ faces.

Without further delay, Edgar materialized two objects from his internal storage ring.

When will I get one of those storage rings? Alaric was lost in his thoughts for a second, witnessing the usefulness of these storage devices. Lately, he found himself with a growing collection of valuables that needed to be secured properly.

However, he quickly redirected his focus on the objects that really needed his attention - a set of folded clothes and a necklace adorned with a ruby gemstone.

Edgar gestured for him to inspect the clothes and the necklace, and Alaric complied. Lifting up both the items, he first analyzed the clothes set. At first glance, it looked like an ordinally training garment - woven from tough, comfortable, black fabric with a seamless design.

However, on careful observation, he discerned thin inscriptions tracing the edges of the fabric. Runic Inscriptions? The symbols glowed blue in his true vision, confirming his suspicions.

He also perceived a tether, linking the runic inscriptions on the fabric to the necklace. After some probing, the count finally revealed their purpose.

Apparently, these were special weighted training garments that amplified the gravity and mana consumption patterns affecting the wearer.

Additionally, these could dynamically adjust the intensity of the gravity and mana constraints as the user got used to their effects.

They were linked to the necklace embedded with a specialized mana stone that served both as its power source and as a control mechanism that fine-tuned the intensity of the training regimen.

Alaric wasn’t really sure how effective these training garments would be, but he was pleased to learn that he could automatically equip them beneath the clothes he was already wearing.

First, he looped the necklace around his neck and activated it. Then, as soon as he made use of the special-equip feature of the garment, he felt a tremendous pressure enveloping him from all angles.

It was as though he was submerged under deep water with hundreds of pounds of pressure weighing on his body. Alaric immediately empowered his limbs with mana, expecting the pressure to ease, and although the pressure did lessen, it wasn’t to the point of making him comfortable.

Additionally, he realized that the training garments severely restricted the flow of mana inside his body. However, as odd as it sounded, the restriction made him comfortable enough to unleash his full strength.

The ruby necklace flared crimson, modulating the intensity of the gravity and mana restrictions.

Yet, Alaric still sported a grin on his face.

He set his eyes on his target - a towering oak tree - and lunged toward it, vanishing in an instant before arriving near it. His fist slammed into the trunk with a thunderous crack, splinters flying everywhere as the massive tree toppled to the ground.

Alaric broke into a laugh as he turned around to notice the smiling faces of his father and the count. By his estimate, he had been able to output only a third of his power - the rest of it was absorbed by the garment - but he had been able to channel all of it while maintaining control of his body.

Without uttering a word, he performed a few sprints encircling the training ground and cycled through the steps of a few sword forms. In just under twenty minutes, he had already gained a much finer sense of his transformed physique.

In fact, he noticed he could maneuver his body more precisely and exert slightly more power than a few minutes earlier. All his doubts were erased as he grasped how the special training garments were designed to function.

When training while wearing these special training garments, he would consistently unleash his full power. The garments would absorb the excess energy that would’ve otherwise caused him to lose control over his body, restricting his damage output to a certain limit.

However, the garments would also ease the restriction the longer he trained in them. This adaptation would allow him to gradually get used to the stress of wielding more mana than before.

Eventually, the restriction would be removed completely, enabling him to wield the full power of his body without causing him to lose control. Truly, a splendid solution.

After ascending to Tier 2, Alaric had grown apprehensive of his ability to regain mastery of his body. He entertained the idea of failing to master his new physique within one month.

Now, those concerns washed away like mud under a heavy flood. Perhaps, I’ll be able to reclaim full command over my body before my birthday arrives after all.

Additionally, if he managed to attain his Lucid Inner World ability, he could accelerate the progress of his training by several fold. With that thought in mind, Alaric continued his training under the supervision of both the adults.