Having begun to calm down, Kenshi admired the environment around him, which was like nothing he had ever seen before, with tall trees reaching towards the sky and thick underbrush covering the ground. The air was humid, and he could feel the warmth of the sun on his skin. The colors around him were vibrant, with shades of green, red, and blue saturating the landscape. The trees were alive with the sounds of chirping birds, rustling leaves, and scampering animals.
As he meandered haphazardly back to his river to look at his reflection once again, curiosity began to bubble inside as he was unaware how he was able to access his five senses despite being a skeleton, much less the fact that somehow his bones had not rotted away.
Kenji sat down by the stream and took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. The sight of the strange environment, coupled with the realization that he was no longer in his world, had left him overwhelmed with fear and confusion. As he sat there, he ran his bony fingers over his skull, trying to make sense of his current situation and trying to remain calm by rubbing his skull.
That was when he felt a strange sensation on his forehead. It was as if something was etched into his skull, and as he touched it, he realized that it was a curse mark. Turning his head to look at it, the mark was shaped like a burning flame and seemed to pulse with a strange energy.
He continued to rub along the edges until he traced the full flame, and his body began vigorously vibrating.
As he sat by the stream, trying to make sense of what was happening, the vibration suddenly stopped, and he heard a voice inside his head. It was robotic and mechanical, yet somehow familiar.
[AI CHIP REINITIALIZING.....]
[....]
[GREETINGS, MASTER. I AM THE AI SYSTEM THAT YOU DEVELOPED BEFORE YOU WERE TURNED INTO A SKELETON. IT SEEMS THAT THE CURSE MARK ON YOUR SKULL HAS ALLOWED YOU TO PRESERVE YOUR BODY AND ACCESS YOUR FIVE SENSES. I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT YOU ARE STILL FUNCTIONAL.]
Kenshi jumped, surprised by the sudden intrusion. "Who's there?" he asked, looking around but seeing no one.
[DO NOT BE ALARMED, I AM THE AI CHIP YOU CREATED] the voice replied.
Kenshi was dumbfounded. He had created an AI chip? How was that even possible?
"You must be mistaken," he said tentatively. "I don't remember creating an AI chip."
[YOUR MEMORY HAS LIKELY BEEN IMPAIRED] the chip replied. [I ASSURE YOU THAT YOU CREATED ME]
Kenshi thought back, trying to remember anything about creating an AI chip. But his memory was foggy, and he couldn't recall anything.
Kenshi was taken aback by the idea of having an AI chip implanted in his skull, but he was also intrigued. "You can help me?" he asked.
[YES, MASTER. I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION ON THE ENVIRONMENT, THE CREATURES THAT INHABIT IT, AND POTENTIAL STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT INFORMATION YOU REQUIRE.]
Kenshi was skeptical. How could an AI chip help a skeleton? But he was also curious. If this chip could provide him with answers, it was worth a try.
"Okay," he said cautiously. "What about this curse?"
[THE CURSE MARK APPEARS TO BE OF AN UNKNOWN ANCIENT ORIGIN AND HAS THE ABILITY TO GRANT ITS WEARER CERTAIN ABILITIES. IN YOUR CASE, IT HAS ALLOWED YOU TO PRESERVE YOUR BODY AND ACCESS YOUR FIVE SENSES. AS FOR HOW IT WORKS, I AM CURRENTLY UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE DETAILS WITHOUT FURTHER INFORMATION NOR ASSESS THE POTENTIAL OF THE ABILITY.]
Kenshi nodded, still processing the situation. He couldn't believe what was happening to him, but he knew that he needed to figure out how to survive in this new world.
"Sidds will have to wait, for now I need to focus on survival."
"AI Chip, what is the best course of action to remedy the lack of control of my body?"
[SUGGESTION FOR MASTER, ACTIVATE FULL AI POWER IN ORDER TO REMEDY EMERGENCY INJURIES]
"How can a skeleton have injuries? Well no matter, AI Chip activate full power!"
Suddenly, the curse mark on his forehead glowed bright red, and Kenshi felt a surge of power. He planted his arms into the ground and braced himself, not sure what to expect.
[ENERGY LEVELS OF AI CHIP DRAINING DRASTICALLY, FINDING ENERGY SOURCE PROBLEM]
[...]
[SOUL DETECTED AS ENERGY SOURCE, AI CHIP MUST ENTER EMERGENCY OFFLINE MODE TO ALLOW SOUL TO HEAL]
[HOST HAS 5 MINUTES BEFORE LOSING CONSCIOUSNESS AS WELL AS AI CHIP ACCESS, RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION: FIND SHELTER.]
Kenshi was overwhelmed by the sudden surge of power and the AI chip's response. He stumbled to his feet and tried to steady himself, his mind racing with questions and concerns.
"Emergency offline mode?" he muttered to himself. "What does that even mean?"
He looked around, trying to orient himself in this new world. He realized that he needed to find shelter, and fast. He could feel his consciousness slipping away, and he didn't want to lose control.
He started to move, his steps unsure and unsteady as bones often caught on rocks and random objects. As he stumbled through the underbrush, he could feel his energy draining away, and the world around him began to blur.
[MASTER, I HAVE DETECTED A CAVE SYSTEM TO THE EAST. IT SHOULD PROVIDE ADEQUATE SHELTER FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS. PLEASE HEAD IN THAT DIRECTION.]
Grateful for the guidance he turned his head and he saw a glimmer of some sort in the distance. It was faint, but it was there. He focused on it, using all his willpower to move towards it.
As he got closer, he realized that it was a cave. He stumbled towards the entrance, his body weak and trembling. As he entered, he collapsed onto the ground, his consciousness fading.
The last thing he heard was the voice of the AI chip, speaking in his mind.
[AI CHIP HAS ENTERED EMERGENCY OFFLINE MODE. PLEASE STAY CALM AND ALLOW THE SOUL TO HEAL. AI CHIP WILL REACTIVATE ONCE HOST HAS RECOVERED.]
And with that, Kenshi lost consciousness, his body and mind spent from the ordeal of his first day in this new world.
---------
Author's Note: MC currently only remembers his revenge and hatred of Sidds as of right now. Thus he won't know what the mode is.