When Disaster Strikes: Activating The AI System After Rebirth

CHAPTER 9: MULTIPLE SKILLS

#9: THE SKILLS OF THE ELEMENTAL SPIRIT (PART 1)

                                   “AI, CAN YOU TELL ME what exactly happened a while ago? Does this creature know how to provide energy to its owner?” Ali asked the AI system when they reached the hole behind the big yellow tree. It's a hollowed hole 3 meters high below the ground. If not for the AI's confirmation, she wouldn't take the initiative to jump down without precautions. When the system assured her that it was safe down there, she didn't think twice and decided to explore the passage underground. Using the flashlight she asked the AI system, when she was about to turn it on all of a sudden, the bouncing thing she was carrying unexpectedly glowed in the dark with white light like a fluorescent lamp that made her dazed and amazed.

“Woah! Y-You really can do that?”

“Squeak, squeak!” as if it knows how to answer. It also feels happy when it knows what its owner feels. Ali has no idea when making the contract with it so she doesn't know that their minds were already connected like their body and soul. Thus, every one of them can feel each emotion and what the other is feeling.

She looked around, and she couldn't see the boundary of that pathway because the light that her familiar was creating no longer covered that part so she continued walking while hugging the elemental spirit who miraculously remained silent in her arms. She just continued to caress its soft and fluffy head which also made her feel better.

She didn't feel the slightest bit of fear as she caressed it until she didn't realize that she had been walking for a long time. She noticed that what she was going through was uneven and had a rough path. Sometimes it's going downward and upward.

The path is also rocky and at times it gets narrower and narrower or sometimes it gets looser and looser. There was a time when she had to bend down and almost crawled.

It was also cold there and the surrounding area was very humid so she couldn't help but feel an eerie feeling. Until more than ten minutes have passed. At the end of the pathway, she could see a little light. But she was having second thoughts about whether to walk straight or what.

[We're here now, host. It's already safe. On the left side of the cave, you can find some treasure there, and you can also collect it to use as ammunition for the second-level weapons.]

“R-Really?!” because of what she found out, she almost ran to the entrance of the cave without thinking about her safety.

[But don't be too hasty, host. Someone is guarding the said treasure this time. But I didn't detect that it had bad intentions or that it was an enemy. You have to negotiate with the Guardian, Host.]

“W-What?” Ali stopped at a halt because of what she heard.

“Squeak?”

“What do you mean by that?” she was puzzled.

[I can also sense energy fluctuations, host. And if you can obtain it, it will be a big help for my upgrade.]

Ali swallowed her saliva with desire. If that's the case, she must do everything to get it. By hook or by crook!

“But—how?”

[You can exchange the crystal stones you've got from the mutant Python's lair, host. A dozen crystal clear stones are equivalent to a single blue energy stone.]

“That expensive?” her eyes widened. A little bit hesitant though...

[I can't see any problem with that, host. It's worth it, I tell you. That blue energy stone is also equivalent to six second-level mutant beasts, host.]

“W-What?! That strong?” she was mystified, and before she could retort she heard someone speak from the cave and it was echoing...

“Who dares to come to my territory, and what brings you here?”

“...” Ali was taken aback. “W-Who said those?”

[It's the Guardian, host. Want me to bring out the stones?]

“Wait! What exactly was that Guardian you were talking about? And how it can speak as you do? What is it? The voice was not from a human, I'm sure—”

[It's a mutant mountain fox, host. Be careful, because it's said to be cunning even though it's only a third-level mutant beast.] The AI signaled her.

“W-WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” she almost spit it out because of shock. A third-level for goodness sake! But when the way her system spoke, as if it's only a matter of bargaining some cheap stuff. She was stupefied.

[You don't have to worry, host. Compared to the mutant Python you encountered, it has no explosive power and oppressive attack, it only has the intelligent value of a normal but cunning person. So you can still negotiate with it. I know you can do it, host] the AI guarantees her.

“Alright, I know what to do,” she heaved a deep breath. She wanted to finish it fast and take a rest early because her both legs almost felt numb at that moment.

She walked slowly in the direction of the fox. It's already bright inside the cave so she doesn't need the help of her familiar anymore, and as if on Que, it returns to a normal white fluffy ball. Perhaps, it can also feel that something is not right, it only nestled even more into her embrace and remains quiet.

Ali saw the big orange fox the size of a normal bear suddenly come out from nowhere. It exudes an arrogant aura that a cunning fox had. According to the AI system, it is only the first time it has tried to communicate with people and other beings after the upgrades to the third level. She also asked the AI out of nowhere if her familiar could speak like this fox shortly after its upgrade. It's also possible if it can reach a higher level than any mutant beasts, and because her familiar is a special species, she will need a lot of energy to accumulate and upgrade to a certain level. She already lost confidence after knowing that.

“You are a female human, and what are you doing here? How can you find this place?” said the Fox with vigilance.

“I'm here for something and I want to exchange it for something too. Do you want to make a deal with me?” the corner of her mouth twitched when she saw how the Fox looked at her; as if she was just like a not-so-worthy thing for its eyes.

Ali can't help but grimace. What a vicious Fox indeed.

To be continued. . .