"Well, now my father will definitely think I'm a pervert," Selene muttered as she flopped onto her bed and buried her head in her pillow.
"But that's a good idea! Can simulated data become something mental? It wouldn't be creating a new personality or a Noetic entity from scratch, just transforming it.
I'd have someone to chat with all the time and train with. My idle chatter with myself would make more sense," Selene said as she rolled over in bed and stared at the ceiling without paying much attention to it.
"Let me extract Meredith. But how did they manage to create AIs so easily in the past? Even that bastard SOAS doesn't have the emotional capabilities the maid had," she muttered as she headed to the basement. She had some crystal memories there that would help her with this matter.
She had already planned to get one for everything she was downloading automatically. After all, she had many things to save, but she would rarely use those files except for the simulation.
When Selene arrived at her workshop, she found the drawer where she kept the crystal memories and took two of them. One would store all the data she planned to extract from Meredith before using it in her own simulation.
In the process, she would also gain a better understanding of this character, although she felt it would eventually become clear to her. Why not consider it a kind of living entity? Like one of those supernatural beings that roam the world?
"If things happen, who am I to judge? Hehehe," Selene laughed at some of her thoughts, but her focus never wavered.
Each time she explored the Dream Interface Core's systems, she felt she understood the programming, the mind, and the dreams of that distant past a little more.
Before learning about this device, Selene thought only advanced Glyphworks could achieve similar effects. After all, she knew of a device auctioned in a city-state that gave the user telekinetic abilities like those seen in old works before the cataclysm.
She did not doubt that, somewhere in the world, someone was seeking to replicate these supposed psychic abilities through technology. After all, Glyphworks gives you the ability to do things worthy of fantasy.
'The power of Noeia may have limits, your body may have limits, but your mind is limitless,' she thought as she transferred Meredith's data to the crystal memory. She took advantage of other resources from that simulation, too. Her pink eyes sparkled with excitement, and she trembled throughout the process.
Did Meredith's beating make her fall in love? Not at all! She really wanted to explore the mind more deeply. Although there may have been superficial factors, such as liking the maid's appearance, they only accounted for 1% of her reasons.
Training, companionship, experimentation. She wanted someone to train with all the time. Although it would be in her mind and she could do it in her dreams with the simulation she was planning to create, she wanted to make it more personal without relying on technology.
After all, her knowledge of the Dream Interface Core was limited. What if it got damaged? She wouldn't know how to repair it. What if there was a malfunction? She wouldn't know how to fix it.
This was too risky. Not to mention external factors, such as getting lost due to unforeseen circumstances beyond her control or, worse, the device being stolen again.
Regarding the company, she sought someone who would be with her at all times, which was pleasant in a certain sense. She had nothing against her friends. How could she when she trusted them completely? However, a mental entity that was always in her mind would not be a hindrance.
Yes, because for her, traveling in a group was problematic. She would have to be vigilant to prevent danger from reaching her companions. She wouldn't have to think twice about doing something.
If she wanted to stay in one area for two weeks, she could do so freely without discussing the matter. She told Noelle the truth: she would not be 'free' when she was with other people, even friends.
However, if she achieved her goal, she could have a companion for life. Privacy? Shame? Adverse effects? She didn't care as long as she could satisfy her need for constant communication! Whatever happened, happened. She was open-minded about this issue.
She was aware that many things could go wrong, but what experimental process is 100% safe? She knew about the potential risks, but that was the fun part.
Would her crazy idea work? Could she transform simulated data into a noetic entity? Would it have a personality and sensitivity? What would it learn from the mind and Noeia? Could she use it for defense, attack, or support? This whole affair could result in many things!
"However, let's start with the first step: the simulation." Selene saw that her bots were no longer downloading anything. The rest could only be obtained through more private means, and even then, for a price. So, she turned them off and looked at the mountain of data in front of her.
"Yes... I need a program that can categorize all this stuff." It only took Selene three hours to program the software because it was so simple. However, it didn't have an interface and depended on the console to work. But that was enough for her.
She let the program run and sort everything while she went upstairs to eat. It was lunchtime! Forty-five minutes later, she saw that all the data had been organized and placed in the remaining glass memory, leaving her communicator clean.
"It's time to get serious. Nothing else matters, only this moment," Selene murmured before cracking her neck, fingers, and back. Then she sprang into action.
She sat down at her desk and began creating the simulation, using her communication crystal to control the Dream Interface Core. After all, this object could only be manipulated this way while she was awake.
Following the instructions, she had read while exploring the gold coin, as well as what she had learned about its systems, she designed a perfect training and living scenario with Meredith. She did not change Meredith at all, but rather simply loaded her as she was, removing the limitations she had discovered.
"If I'm going to have her in my simulation and then in my mind, why do I have to leave her with those stupid limits? I want her at her best!" Selene's pupils dilated as she worked on the simulation.
This took her a couple more hours. When she was finished, she didn't test it right away. Instead, she gathered her things and went back upstairs. This time, it wasn't to eat or anything like that, but to meditate and train her Noeia channeling.
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Meredith opened her eyes and brought her hands to her chest and neck, trying to cover the wounds inflicted by the princess. In that moment, she felt her body and mind more clearly.
She felt the strange confusion lift from her. She was a murderer! Why had she toyed with her target? Why had she been so arrogant and haughty? The worst part was that she hadn't used her full strength during the fight.
Wasn't she dead? She thought about it, then assessed her surroundings. She had appeared on the sand near an unfamiliar beach. Waves crashed onto the shore, pushing a little water toward her feet and reminding her that she was alive.
"Where is the castle?" What is this place? What... is all this?" Meredith asked quietly, channeling her Noeia, ready to react to any danger that might arise in this unknown place.
"You are in a safe place, my dear servant," said a familiar voice from a distance. Meredith turned around and saw Selene sitting on a rock with a big smile on her face.
Although her body was made of threads, her expressions were understandable due to the environment in which the two women found themselves. Meredith recognized her voice but not her appearance. She showed her palm, where her nails had grown several centimeters longer.
"Who the hell are you? Why are you imitating the princess's voice?" the maid asked, propelling her body forward and covering the dozens of meters that separated her from the strange entity.
"Would you believe me if I told you that everything you've experienced is just an illusion?" Instead of answering, Selene jumped off the rock, got into a defensive stance, and dodged Meredith's attack.
The maid didn't use her nails like claws but rather as if she had a sword in her hands. Selene had to dodge her constant slashes and cuts while backing away.
"You think I'm going to believe you?" Meredith growled. The purple-haired girl smiled.
"Why don't you keep your distance and let me explain?" Selene slid several meters across the sand and sat down, not caring about the ugly expression on the maid's face.
Without waiting for Meredith to relax, Selene began to tell her the whole truth: the nature of her world, her existence, and her personal plans. She simply felt it was unnecessary to keep these matters secret and that openness was best.
When she finished speaking, Meredith was sitting on the sand. Her face was serious, and her posture was quite disciplined. However, her hands were clutching her maid's dress tightly. Clearly, Meredith had been shocked by Selene's words and evidence.
"So... I'm not real? My struggle, my desires, my fear, my revenge—all fake?" The woman spoke in a neutral voice, but you didn't have to be an expert to notice the sadness in her words.
"What defines reality? What defines falsehood? You are in my dream, albeit a simulated one. I plan to deposit you in my mind as a noetic entity. Are you not real, and will you be real to me in the future?" As she said this, Selene stood up and walked toward Meredith without fear.
"I liked the determination you showed when you tried to kill me, even though you were weak. I'm not talking about the limitations caused by the simulation, but by the wound in your heart.
Just remembering it makes me shiver," Selene concluded. She stood in front of the maid, who looked up and watched this woman made of threads reach out her hand to her.
"So, if I'm real to you, why can't I consider myself real? Besides, do you think I can become a... 'noetic' entity? In my time, we called it 'Noeia' grace." Meredith took Selene's hand and stood up.
"That's the interesting thing about all this! You may be able to transform yourself into a noetic entity, a mental being, or a supernatural creature, or whatever you want to call it. That's why we're experimenting.
In the meantime, how about we train? I want to learn the skills humans had in the past!" Selene exclaimed, distancing herself from Meredith and assuming a fighting stance.
"I suppose the princess has some crazy ideas in her head. This servant is willing to serve her. Even in training. But I warn you, I show no mercy. Since you won't really die in a dream... I'll show you how terrifying an assassin can be!" To emphasize her words, Meredith manifested her Noeia over her body.
It manifested as pressurized blue vapor surrounding her body as if it had finally found an escape. She took a step, releasing her momentum composed of murderous intent, bloodlust, and desire for revenge. All of these emotions exploded unrestrained, just like her Noeia.
"I couldn't expect anything less," Selene declared. The threads forming her body stirred and shone more brightly, showing that she was using the Noeia. If she were in the real world, she would undoubtedly show what it looks like when she externalizes it. Here, however, her current form only allowed for a small light show.
Selene had trained with an ancient assassin and suffered a terrible beating, but no one could wipe the smile off her face. She felt that she could learn something from Meredith's killing skills. However, like everything else she had been working on lately, it would take time.