The musty stench of damp stone, the oppressive darkness, and the icy touch of rough marble roused the boy from unconsciousness. His body ached, and his head spun with disorientation. ‘Where am I? Why is it so dark?’ The questions surged in his mind, each one sharper and more insistent than the last. Before he could dwell on them, a searing pain erupted in his abdomen, forcing him to curl into the fetal position on the cold, unyielding floor.
He clutched his stomach, wincing, but amid the pain, something strange struck him. His arms moved smoothly, without hesitation or stiffness. “I… I can move?” he whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief. For a moment, he froze, testing his body cautiously. His fingers flexed. His legs shifted. His neck turned with ease.
It should have been a miracle, a moment of joy. But instead, raw panic gripped him. His breaths came faster, each one shallower than the last. He pressed his palms against the floor as if grounding himself, trying to suppress the surge of terror. Again, he commanded his body to move, and again, it obeyed without resistance. His arms, legs, and even the smallest twitch of his toes responded effortlessly.
His heart raced uncontrollably, his chest tightening as the realization settled in. “Just what in the hell is going on? Aren’t I supposed to be in an operating room right now?” His voice cracked, echoing faintly in the emptiness around him.
The panic spiraled further, his thoughts a chaotic blur. And then, it hit him—a name. Uldric. It was foreign, yet familiar, like a half-remembered dream. “Wait… Uldric? Who is that?”
Triggered by the name, a surge of chaotic foreign memories left Uldric gasping, clutching his head as though the pressure building inside might split it apart. His breaths were shallow, coming in frantic bursts, but the memories kept pouring in. They were vivid, too vivid to be dismissed as dreams or hallucinations. Fragmented glimpses of a life that wasn’t his—the life of a boy named Uldric, marked by the kind of strange familiarity that made denial almost impossible.
Images flitted through his mind: arcane symbols glowing faintly, an ornate staff clutched by pale hands, and whispered incantations resonating with power and then, there were flashes of towering stone spires, robed figures, and books etched with runes. The memories painted a picture of another world, one governed by forces he had once thought impossible: magic.
“Magic?” The word slipped from his lips, almost involuntarily. Saying it aloud stirred more fragments within his mind. The term felt imposing. His mind strained to piece together the scattered fragments. Slowly, some semblance of coherence began to form.
The body he now inhabited, these memories revealed, belonged to a boy chosen to be an initiate in a trial—a young aspirant with a rare Gift. Uldric had been thrust into a trial, a test designed to awaken something called a mana core, the first step in becoming a mage. But the trial was unforgiving. The previous owner of this body had failed. They had died attempting to perform the Skill necessary to pass.
Uldric’s chest tightened. “So… I’ve taken over a body that failed a trial?” His voice wavered, but he couldn’t deny the truth. The memories were too real, their details too precise to dismiss.
Panic rose like bile in his throat. He wanted to scream, to claw at the stone walls of the cavern, to rage against the headache and the information that still continued to rush within. “A magical trial? Awakening a mana core? What the hell does that even mean?” His voice trembling while it echoed within the dark chamber, swallowed quickly by the oppressive silence.
His mind wanted to shatter at so much information being shoved into him, however Uldric knew he couldn’t afford to rest or else his mind would break. Something told him the only way to survive this situation was to stay conscious despite the horrible headache. "I have no choice," he muttered, his tone shifting from panic to grim determination.
Focusing on the memories, Uldric shut his eyes and forced himself to sift through the fragments. It was an agonizing process, like assembling a puzzle with pieces that kept crumbling into dust. Yet he persisted. His concentration bore fruit: terms such as Mana Veins, began to emerge.
He scanned the transplanted memories again, desperately hanging on a thread to prevent a mental collapse. He read the memories as fast as he could, but no matter how hard he tried, the speed in which they entered his mind was way faster than he could interpret them. Terms he didn’t fully understand, sentences left unfinished, and more trivia kept flooding in. His hands balled into fists as the hopelessness crept in. “Not again, I don’t want to die again!”
Then, as though responding to his plea, something shifted.
A sharp, mechanical ping resonated in his mind. Uldric froze. The sound wasn’t external—it came from within him, reverberating through his consciousness like the chime of a bell.
“W-What was that?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Before he could process it, a monotone, synthetic voice spoke directly into his thoughts:
User mental cognition has been realigned to 49.55%…
The words sent a shiver down his spine. He couldn’t tell if it was fear or relief. His heart pounded in his chest, the sound echoing in his ears.
Rebooting system…
Neurolink model X3399MTG Activating…
Alert Unknown memory fusion to host has occurred. No microchip or nano bots detected as proper mediums within the host body, Programming codex has merged to deeper ethereal medium within the User.
Congratulations! Major data discovered attempting to send information to Main server’s…Error… Servers not detected. Admin not detected.
Protocol 35 enacted current User shall be designated Admin.
Congratulations user all Admin authority have been granted to you, please state your commands.
Ping!
Alert! User has unaligned mental cognition; lack of immediate treatment might lead to irreparable side-effect if left untreated. Do you wish to treat them? Yes /No.
All those notifications had appeared in a moment however Uldric did not waste time when he read the last notification and, mentally yelled, ‘Yes!’
Affirmation accepted. Realigning user’s mental cognition from 49.55%…50.23%
Moments passed. Uldric felt the pressure from the memories that tried to split his head being alleviated. He felt himself breathe, and the headache subsided, till only relief was what was left.
Ping!
Realigned user’s mental cognition to 100%
Uldric’s gaze remained fixed on the floating blue text, his mind grappling with the impossibility before him. It shimmered faintly, as if mocking his confusion, while his thoughts churned like a stormy sea.
“What the hell is going on here?” he muttered, the words echoing faintly in the dim, hollow space around him.
The Neurolink had been groundbreaking technology in his previous life, true. It was meant to revolutionize his existence when he had been confined to a crippled body. But it had been grounded in science, bound by the laws of physics and biology—or so he had thought.
“Technology isn’t supposed to work like this,” Uldric continued, his voice filled with strained incredulity. He raised a hand toward the glowing text but stopped short, hesitant to confirm if it was tangible. "Implanted during surgery, designed to aid a crippled body... not this. This... this is something else."
He tried to reason through it, running a hand through his hair—hair that didn’t even feel like his own. The realization brought an odd chill to his spine.
“Am I dreaming?” he asked himself, though the thought lacked conviction.
But the brief, chaotic cascade of foreign memories that had taken root in his mind shattered the illusion of a dream. They had been too vivid, too sharp, too real. He was no longer in the world he had known. No, he was somewhere entirely different, and every fragment of memory embedded in him whispered this unsettling truth.
Uldric’s jaw tightened as he exhaled shakily. “No, this isn’t a dream,” he admitted, his tone resigned yet tinged with defiance.
For reasons beyond his understanding, he had been thrust into the epicenter of a strange, unfathomable reality. And now, there was no turning back.
Ping!
Welcome to the guide to using your Neurolink, here are encoded functions developed to assist the user in better understanding the system.
Uldric paused for a moment.
“A guide huh. Well, that’s a bit of normalcy to have after the shit storm I just went through. Go ahead then.” He said while laid down on the cold floor.
Encoded Functions:
Analyze
Simulation
Stabilize
Uldric lowered his eyes to the Encoded Functions notification and expanded the window to show him everything in detail. “Now what do we have here?”
—
Analyze
Description: The "Analyze" ability of the Neurolink functions as a data-gathering tool, akin to a high-speed, highly detailed scanner. This function allows the user to quickly sweep over a given area, object, or even a person, collecting vast amounts of information in mere moments. The type of data scanned can range from physical characteristics, like the material composition of an object or the physical state of a person, to more abstract details, such as energy signatures and memories.
Effects:
Radar: The user can actively scan their surroundings to detect hidden objects, traps, or anomalies that would be impossible to notice with the naked eye. This is particularly useful in hazardous environments where quick, precise information is critical for survival in real-time.
Diagnostics: The ability to scan the body. Allows the user to identify injuries, diseases, debilitations and foreign elements in the body.
Early Warning: A Special passive effect ideal for detecting incoming threats before they are visually apparent, giving the user crucial time to prepare or evade.
Navigation: In complex environments, such as dense forests or labyrinthine caves, the functions help in mapping the surroundings and avoiding obstacles, making it easier to navigate through challenging terrain.
—
Simulation
Description: The "Simulation" ability allows the user to enter a different reality to create detailed mental models of scenarios, objects, or environments. This function simulates various outcomes based on different variables, enabling the user to predict the consequences of actions or to experiment with different strategies without any real-world risks. The simulations can range from simple mechanical processes to complex social interactions or battle strategies.
Effects:
Strategic Planning: The user can simulate potential battle strategies, exploring different experiments to find the most effective approach against an enemy.
Optimization: The user can calibrate their own abilities in a short amount of time, making movements more precise, and decision-making more efficient. This leads to improved performance in any other field of expertise.
Trance Submersion: A deep dive into one's mind where time stretches or warps, giving the state of much longer periods of time. The user can simulate their minds perception of time to extend experimentation of various scenarios to practice skills or prepare for potential challenges, making it a powerful tool for education and self-improvement.
—
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Stabilize
Description: The "Stabilize" function of the Neurolink acts as a safeguard for the user's mental integrity, balancing their mental state and enhancing cognitive resilience. This function is designed to prevent mental breakdowns caused by extreme stress, overwhelming information, or harmful physical influences. It fortifies the user's mind, allowing them to maintain clarity and focus even under severe psychological duress.
Effects
Mental Equilibrium: Actively monitors and adjusts the user's mental state, ensuring emotional balance, reducing anxiety, and preventing panic or mental fatigue during high-stress scenarios.
Cognitive Alignment: Enhances mental clarity, focus, and decision-making by filtering out unnecessary distractions and organizing thought patterns for optimal performance.
Stress Recovery: Accelerates recovery from mental strain or trauma, allowing the user to regain composure and mental strength quickly after intense encounters.
Harmony Mode: Synchronizes with the user's biological rhythms to improve overall mental and physical synergy, increasing their endurance and stamina during prolonged engagements.
—
Uldric stared at the functions displayed by the Neurolink, his mind grappling with the surreal realization. "Those scientists really thought of everything when they made this Neurolink for my then-crippled body," he murmured. He paused, his gaze distant as if searching for a connection to his past. "I wonder how things would have turned out if I was still in my old body, though."
The thought would have sent most people spiraling into despair, but Uldric felt oddly detached. He turned the idea over in his mind, not as a source of sadness but as a curiosity. “Is it the stabilize function at work right now? Maybe that’s why I feel so calm. Compared to the panic I felt earlier, this is almost unnatural… And why do I feel so weirdly accepting of the fact that I’m in another body?”
His rationality fought against the cold acceptance, questioning if this emotional apathy might lead to something darker in the long run. But at this moment, it was a lifeline.
"I guess it doesn’t matter," he said aloud, forcing himself to focus. "Right now, I need this. Fear and panic won’t get me anywhere."
He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling in the still air of the chamber. Thoughts raced through his mind, each more bizarre than the last. The impossibility of his situation was glaring, yet there was no point in dwelling on it. Questions like how he had ended up in another body—or even another world—were luxuries he couldn’t afford right now.
"One thing at a time," he muttered, glancing around the dimly lit chamber. His eyes strained to make sense of the shadows around him, the air heavy with the weight of the unknown. The walls were smooth and cold to the touch, an oppressive reminder of his confinement. "What I need to do right now is escape this place."
Fragments of the memories that had invaded his mind earlier began to resurface, shimmering at the edge of his consciousness. Although jumbled and incomplete, they hinted at his current predicament.
“Although it was brief, the fragmented memories showed me I’m in some kind of trial," Uldric mused. His brows furrowed as he tried to connect the dots. "But I still don’t know what sort of trial it is. Something about a skill?"
The thought sent a chill down his spine, a stark reminder of how little he understood his circumstances. As quickly as the chill came, though, the feeling dulled—another effect of the Neurolink stabilize function.
"Haa..." He exhaled deeply, shaking his head. "If I want the full story, I’m going to have to sift through those memories again."
The idea wasn’t appealing. The chaotic flood of foreign thoughts had left his mind bruised and aching the first time. Diving back into the fray felt like willingly stepping into a storm. Yet, he knew he had no choice.
Uldric squared his shoulders, his posture straightening with forced resolve. His fingers flexed, his hands curling into fists as if bracing himself for a fight. “There is no use being fearful right now," he told himself firmly, his voice cutting through the silence. "I have to get out of here. Then I can figure things out once I’m outside. Right now, I’m going to have to read those memories again.”
***
Hours had passed and Uldric now sat on the cold, unforgiving ground, his mind calm. He had been activating the Analyze function nonstop, in search of answers—pieces of the puzzle scattered within the transplanted memories that now resided in his mind.
He had found some glimmers of coherence within the chaotic transplanted memories. There was a Skill, that the previous soul was meant to learn, and master.
The skill he sought to use, was the one that was supposed to birth something called a mana core and free him from this suffocating chamber of trials, alas the boy had failed, making room for the current Uldric. Some people might have felt sorry for the previous soul, however Uldric’s mind remained clear.
Right now, what seemed to touch at his altered emotions was the annoyance of learning that the said Skill meant to aid in his escape from the trial was now maddeningly incomplete. And now he was frantically on the pursuit to rearrange the memories pertaining to the skill so as to use it again and escape.
The Neurolink interface flickered in his consciousness, glowing faintly as it processed his transplanted memories. Within moments, fragmented images, disjointed phrases, and hazy sensations flooded his mind. Uldric experienced them all as he sifted through them like a miner panning for gold, seeking the essential details. He could see glimpses of figures seated in the same cross-legged position, faint diagrams of glowing mana cores within translucent human forms, and instructions spoken in a language he barely understood.
As the analysis finished, Uldric sighed.
Data collected till complete Skill Restoration for Mana Core Cultivation is at 14%
He had already collected some valuable information. However, the data was riddled with issues: sentences abruptly ended, symbols and concepts appeared without context, and terminology danced just beyond his grasp. He attempted to analyze it again, hoping for clarity, but the Neurolink could only provide so much. The memories were damaged, fragmented in ways even advanced technology couldn’t repair. He clenched his fists, frustration bubbling within him, only for that frustration to get washed away by the passive effects of the Stabilize functions helping him to keep a clear and focused mind.
“I’m at a bottleneck, the analyze function can only take me to 14% of data collection, I need more data. I need to experience the memories in a much deeper state. Maybe that is the only way to progress even further.” Uldric muttered, staring into the darkness around him. He sighed again he knew what he needed to do if he wanted a deeper dive into the memories. “I have to experience them instead of reading them like a book.” The Analyze function might be powerful, but it couldn’t work miracles. The fragmented data he analyzed appeared to him like simple pages and he was trying to read those pages while they were torn to shreds.
With no way to read the torn pages, Uldric turned to his only option: he would have to complete the skill through a more intimate method. And would he do that? “I have no choice I have to experience them.”
Yes. He had to experience the memories, although his emotions were now constantly being kept in check by his neurolink that did not mean he was not scared. Before the neurolink rebooted, Uldric was both briefly reading the transplanted memories in his mind like a novel turning each torn page hurriedly, and at the same time before the moment he felt as if his mind was about to break, Uldric was in a weird state of experiencing those transplanted memories.
It was a weird experience but at the same time full of pain, the previous soul had really suffered before he had died. Fear threatened to creep into his mind, but his neurolink numbed out such distractions.
Moments passed as Uldric sat on such a mad idea, and although there was hesitation, Uldric also felt some morbid excitement at experiencing those memories, since his whole life he had been bedridden with no true life lived, this was his chance to live, even if those memories where fragmented and probably the last painful moments before someone’s death. Why did it have to be the last moments, because for some reason the deeper Uldric went into the previous soul’s past the harder it was to find the pieces to those memories, so he had no choice but to experience the last moments of someone else before their death.
The idea was daunting, especially since one mistake could mean mental failure—or worse. Yet, there was a glimmer of hope. The Neurolink Stabilize offered a sound mind fortification, even if he did not know the limits of the effect.
Plus, Simulation function offered a way to test strategies and plans in a controlled virtual environment. It promised to regulate his mental state perfectly, creating a space where he could experiment without risking his mind too much.
Uldric drew a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he focused. The plan was straightforward enough: activate the simulation, practice the fragmented skill within the transplanted memories until it worked, and then use it to awaken his mana core in the real body, once the data collected is at 100%. Once that was done, he’d finally have the power to escape this dark, oppressive chamber.
It was easier said than done. The fragmented memories left gaps that he’d need to fill with intuition and improvisation, and the risk of failure—even in the simulation—was high. But Uldric was no stranger to hardship. His previous life, with his crippled body and endless struggles, had taught him resilience. He wasn’t about to let a few missing details stop him now.
He adjusted his posture slightly, his pale, youthful fingers brushing against the cool surface beneath him. The sensation grounded him, reminding him that even though this body felt foreign, it was his to command. His transplanted memories had mentioned something about focus and visualization being critical to success. He closed his eyes, allowing his thoughts to quiet as he prepared for the next step.
“Neurolink,” he said, his voice calm but firm, “prepare to activate simulation function.”
Ping!
Command accepted
Activating Simulation now, User is advised to being seated as consciousness shall be lost upon activation.
Uldric sat cross-legged on the cold, unyielding ground, not out of comfort but because his transplanted memories insisted that this was a foundational position. The posture fostered focus and harmony between body and mind. His new limbs felt strange—too agile, too sturdy compared to the frail, trembling ones he remembered—but he ignored the oddity and steadied his breathing.
"Alright then," he muttered, his voice steady despite the anticipation curling in his chest. "Activate Simulation."
The command echoed in the dark chamber, and almost immediately, a strange pull overtook him. It wasn’t physical but something deeper, tugging at his very consciousness. The faint, suffocating darkness around him deepened, growing heavier and more oppressive. Uldric’s senses dulled, his body fading into nothingness as if it were being dissolved. He fought the instinct to panic, trusting the neurolink.
For a moment, there was only silence, the kind that pressed against his ears like a dense fog. Then, without warning, an explosion of light shattered the void. The brilliance was blinding, almost searing, forcing Uldric to shield his eyes instinctively—though he wasn’t sure if he even had eyes in this state.
When the radiance subsided, he blinked and found himself floating—not sitting anymore—in a boundless expanse of pure white. The ground beneath him was smooth and featureless, neither warm nor cold, while the sky above stretched infinitely, mirroring the stark simplicity of the plane. There were no shadows, no textures, nothing to anchor the senses. It was a place of total emptiness.
Uldric’s thoughts quickened as he turned in a slow circle, surveying his environment he saw that the plane was blank, with nothing blemishing its magnificence, and he was alone with no one in this space.
“At least you could have put a blue sky here or something,” Uldric muttered jokingly as he gazed at the endless expanse of white overhead.
No sooner had the words left his lips the blank, sterile sky began to ripple and shift. A faint dot of blue appeared directly above him, tiny at first, like a pinprick in a vast canvas. Slowly, it expanded outward, its hue deepening and spreading until the entire horizon was bathed in a vibrant cerulean glow. Wisps of soft clouds formed, lazily drifting across the now-transformed heavens.
Uldric's breath hitched. The stark emptiness that had loomed so unnervingly moments before was replaced by a serene, picturesque expanse. The shift was seamless, as though the world itself had heard his wish and bent to his will. He stood there, frozen, his mind reeling.
"Did... did it just listen to me?" he murmured, his voice barely audible over the faint, imagined breeze that now swept through the air.
“Neurolink what was that just now?”
User has complete control of this mental space; with the help of the codex and the user’s consciousness the user is able to be in a state of lucidity with complete control within this mental space.
“This is like I can enter a lucid dream on command and control everything as I like without the worry of waking up in said dream?”
User ‘s deduction is correct.
This was amazing news. Uldric then silently looked at his current body, and was stunned to notice that he was a hazy ethereal dark cloud of consciousness within the blank environment ‘So I’m the blemish in this space then I guess. But this body won’t do if I want to do what is necessary.’ He thought.
He did not waste time but got back to his main mission. “Neurolink materialize my body to be an identical constitution to the real body that I currently am in possession of. And materialize a mirror here I want to see it.”
Uldric stared in awe as his cloudy, ethereal form condensed and materialized before him into a human shape. The figure solidified into a body utterly unfamiliar, vastly different from his old, crippled, and frail self. He now inhabited the form of a youthful boy, barely in his teens, with short, raven-black hair that shimmered faintly under the light. His eyes, rich brown with golden-hued irises, seemed to glow with an otherworldly intensity. The lean, athletic frame exuded vitality, every muscle finely sculpted, radiating energy. His skin, pale as freshly fallen snow, contrasted sharply with the vibrant life pulsing beneath its surface.
Uldric lightly toughed his simulated body, it felt so real, even though he knew it was a simulation he could not help but feel emotional that he was able to stand now, he smiled and begun to walk slowly he had no direction to go to but just walk, then jogged and begun to run at full speed, his body did not feel tired no matter how long he ran, but he did not care he felt more alive than he ever did, and he figured that this was the reason why the simulation function had been added to a neurolink for a disabled individual such as himself. After running for a long time in his simulated world Uldric, had time to think so he stopped.
He looked at his naked body and commanded, “Give me some clothes would you.” The neurolink fitted him with casual dark sweat pants and jacket. Although it was all in his head Uldric wanted to still be dressed up, he normally only wore hospital gowns and loose robes for most of his life.
“Now then, Neurolink, prepare to immerse me in the memories of the Skill to be used in the trial.”
Uldric's voice echoed in the vast, featureless expanse. The words were spoken with as much resolve as he could muster, though caution still lingered beneath the surface. His ethereal hands clenched into fists by his sides as if the act could ground him in the surreal space he now occupied.
The virtual world began to shift. At first, the changes were subtle—a ripple coursing through the otherwise still void, like a pebble tossed into an infinite pool. Then, the ripples intensified, folding and bending the fabric of the white plane. Uldric’s surroundings morphed, fragmenting as though the world itself was shattering into pieces. Each fragment was a memory, raw and chaotic, flying past him in fleeting bursts of imagery.
He saw flashes: an individual seated cross-legged in meditation, their silhouette cast in shadow; a scroll being unfurled, revealing cryptic symbols that seemed to pulsate with arcane energy; hands weaving intricate gestures that emitted glowing, golden trails in the air. The fragments were disjointed, impossible to track or fully comprehend.
As more shards of fragmented memories coalesced, they gravitated toward a single point in the space before Uldric. The fragments seemed to fuse, their jagged edges smoothing out, melding into one another with a strange, otherworldly hum. The amalgamation grew brighter, taking shape—until it formed a door.
The door was unlike anything Uldric had ever seen, both breathtaking and unnerving. Its surface was a mosaic of shifting images, like stained glass pieced together from dreams and nightmares. Symbols flickered across it, only to vanish a moment later, replaced by blurry impressions of the memories he had glimpsed. It looked fragile, yet it radiated an aura of immense power.
Uldric approached the door cautiously. From a distance, it seemed almost monumental, but as he neared, he realized its size was perfectly proportioned to him. He reached out, hesitated, then circled around it. To his astonishment, the back of the door was blank—an unremarkable surface that led to nothingness. It was untethered, floating impossibly in the void.
And yet, Uldric knew instinctively that the door was a gateway. He didn’t need the Neurolink to explain it. Something within him—a fusion of his own instincts and the fragmented memories—told him that beyond this door lay the immersive experience he sought.
“There’s no use waiting,” he muttered to himself, his voice steady despite the unease gnawing at him.
He stepped back to the front of the door, standing before its shimmering mosaic of chaotic imagery. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and wrapped his fingers around the cold, glassy doorknob. His grip tightened as a faint vibration coursed through the door, resonating with an almost musical hum.
With a deliberate motion, Uldric turned the knob and pulled the door open. As the glass door swung inward, light spilled out from the space beyond—a swirling maelstrom of colors and shapes that defied logic or reason.
The instant the door opened, Uldric’s ethereal body began to dissolve. There was no pain, only a strange, weightless sensation as his form disintegrated into glowing particles of light. The particles were drawn into the doorway, vanishing into the chaotic brilliance on the other side.
In mere moments, Uldric was gone, absorbed into the door and the fragmented memories beyond.
