Chapter 51: System Override!
[Welcome recruit. I am VIRIS, your assigned AI.]
[Please relax while I complete the synchronization process.]
A soft hum filled the pod, followed by a rhythmic vibration as faint lights pulsed around Bruce’s body.
[Fingerprint scan... Completed!]
[Retina scan... Completed!]
[DNA sequence... Verified!]
[Full-body analysis... Completed!]
[Memory scan... Partial success. Cognitive data only 54% accessible.]
[Neuron mapping... Completed!]
[Emotional pulse calibration... Stable.]
The mechanical voice spoke with perfect clarity, neither male nor female, yet eerily calm.
[Recruit 89, Bruce.]
[Please confirm your weapon of choice.]
Bruce blinked as the holographic text shimmered before him. Excitement surged through his veins, his heart beating faster. He didn’t know how long he had waited for this moment, but this was it.
"Two daggers," he said confidently.
[Weapon type registered: Dual Blades.]
[Processing adaptive loadout...]
[Accepted.]
The hologram flickered once before fading. Another appeared instantly.
[Recruit 89, Bruce.]
[Do you wish to proceed with the test?]
[Speak "Yes" or "No."]
"Yes."
The moment the word left his lips, a satisfying ding echoed.
[Confirmation received.]
[Authorization verified.]
[Neural synchronization initializing...]
[Please remain still.]
Bruce let out a slow breath as the system lights dimmed slightly. His pulse steadied; he could feel the air thickening, almost alive with mana.
Meanwhile, outside the pod, the sealed lobby doors slid open.
Lucen stepped through, his boots tapping softly against the polished floor. The door hissed shut behind him, locking again with a metallic clank.
His eyes immediately found Bruce’s pod. There was something about that one, something that made him uneasy.
He began walking toward it, speaking quietly into his wrist recorder as he went.
"The primary challenge with simulating S-Ranked and above Awakened lies in one simple fact: they’re too strong," he began, his tone calm and analytical. "Their mana capacity and mental resistance far exceed normal parameters."
He paused, glancing briefly at the glowing rows of pods.
"This VR system works by deceiving the brain through controlled neural manipulation," he continued. "It floods the user’s neurons with finely tuned electro-mana signals, replicating sensory input from the real world. The brain synchronizes, creating a fully convincing virtual reality indistinguishable from physical existence."
Lucen’s steps echoed softly.
"But the stronger a person is, the stronger their mind," he said. "Their neurons resist the override, rejecting the artificial inputs. We call this Neural Resistance."
He stopped beside Bruce’s pod, his tone deepening.
"When that happens, the brain begins generating counter-signals, an automatic defense mechanism that overloads the simulation feed and breaks immersion entirely."
He leaned forward, checking the control panel embedded beside the pod.
And then he froze.
Error messages were flashing across the screen like warning flares.
[ERROR: Neural Sync Failed.]
[Attempting Recalibration...]
[Error...]
[Host is too strong.]
[Retrying...]
[Error...]
[Critical mismatch detected.]
Lucen blinked, his frown deepening. "What... his neurons are rejecting the simulation already?"
He exhaled heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I expected as much. Typical S-Rank behavior. Guess I’ll not be bored watching the feed of the other recruits’ adventures with him."
He was about to turn away when something strange caught his eye.
The error messages stopped.
For a few seconds, the screen went blank. Then new lines of code began rewriting themselves across the display, fast and smooth, like an unseen force had taken control.
Lucen’s eyebrows furrowed. "What the hell?"
Inside the pod, Bruce’s expression had sharpened.
He immediately understood what was happening. His medical background as a surgeon, his deep knowledge of the human body, allowed him to piece together the problem in seconds.
The system wasn’t failing because it was broken. It was failing because his brain was rejecting the connection.
He smirked faintly. "So, it’s my neurons resisting, huh?"
Closing his eyes, Bruce focused, channeling mana along the intricate web of his internal circuits until it reached his head. His voice came out low and steady.
"Heal."
Mana flared through his body, weaving into the veins in his skull and into the clusters of neurons firing beneath. It wasn’t about restoring damage; it was about adapting.
He guided his healing energy to ease the resistance, allowing his neurons to partially accept the incoming stimuli without losing control.
A compromise. Not submission, but cooperation.
Almost immediately, the feedback in the pod changed.
Outside, Lucen’s panel blinked violently.
[Recalibrating neural link...]
[Unexpected adaptive signal detected!]
[Stabilizing synchronization field...]
[AI overload risk: 0.3% - contained.]
[Error logs cleared.]
Lucen’s eyes widened. "Impossible..."
He leaned closer, scanning the data streaming across the holographic panel. The readings were completely different from what they had been seconds ago.
Bruce’s neuron activity had stabilized, self-regulated, and was now perfectly synchronizing with the system.
Lucen’s pulse quickened.
"What did he just do?" he whispered.
Then his voice dropped lower, disbelief painted across his face.
"He let himself get simulated by will? That’s... that’s not supposed to be possible."
He looked at the screen again, awe creeping into his voice.
"And he did it without overloading the AI..."
Lucen stood there frozen, eyes flicking between the readings and the quiet pod before him.
"This kid just rewired his own neuron feedback mid-process. No one should even know that’s possible."
Inside the pod, Bruce’s lips curved slightly as new notifications flashed before his eyes.
[Full synchronization achieved.]
[Neural feedback stabilized.]
[Cognitive alignment... Complete.]
[Mana channels adjusted for virtual environment.]
[Recruit 89: Bruce - Simulation Compatible.]
[Full system check... Completed.]
[Recruit successfully linked.]
A final line appeared, glowing brighter than the rest.
[Recruit 89, Bruce - Simulation commencing.]
And then the last notification pulsed once before fading.
[Entering Simulation Mode...]
The next second after the process was completed, the pod began to hum softly, then deeper, louder, vibrating through Bruce’s entire body.
A faint surge of electricity coursed through him, spreading warmth across his chest and limbs. The air inside the pod thickened as light flooded his vision.
Then, everything went white.
For a moment, there was no sound, no air, no sense of direction—only weightless drifting. Then, with a sharp snap, the world reformed around him.
Bruce felt solid ground beneath his feet.
When his sight cleared, he found himself standing in the middle of a vast dry savannah, the sun beating mercilessly overhead. The wind carried the smell of dust and heat, and the golden grass stretched endlessly in every direction.
"The virtual reality of this world is actually this advanced... It’s even more realistic than Earth’s VR," Bruce murmured in disbelief.
But if he ever found out that this level of immersion; this flawless simulation of sight, sound, and touch, was still only a prototype, his shock would be indescribable.
He’d probably stand frozen, wondering just how far this world’s technology could go if this was only the beginning.