The towering wall before me seemed insurmountable. It was too big for me to get over and too long for me to go around, which meant that there must be a weakness in the wall itself. I knew it was not going to be easy but I was ready for a challenge.

Nova, who was beside me, said, "Quite intimidating, isn't it? How'd you reckon you can get through this?"

I thought for a moment, "I'm guessing I can't go around or go over. That must mean that there must be a weakness in the wall or I dig through the ground here."

She nodded, "You're right. Everything has a weakness. As for digging through the ground, that wouldn't be possible unless the one who designed this wall is very incompetent."

"I see. How do I sense a weakness then?"

"Close your eyes. Reach out with your mind."

I smiled awkwardly as I asked her, "How do I do that?"

She seemed to sigh, "Sometimes, I forget just how new you are. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and clear your mind of distractions."

Easier said than done. Although I complained, I did as I was told. It didn't help that I had ADHD. After a minute or two of trying, I nodded to Nova, signaling that I had done that.

"After that, you'll be able to feel something strange around you. Some kind of energy. Do you feel it?"

I didn't. So I focused even more. After another minute, I was able to sense it. I needed to thank my Mind 6 stat for that. It was like a mist, swirling around me, subtle and elusive. I nodded slowly, feeling a slight tingle at the edge of my consciousness. "I think I feel it," I said softly, not wanting to break my concentration.

"Good," Nova said. "Now, I'll teach you how to sense the energy in the wall. Step forward with your hand out and touch the wall."

I did as I was told. I could immediately feel it. The immense amount... of energy and information. I wasn't afraid of information but the information I could glimpsed from this were all useless pieces of information. Still, I said softly to Nova, "I can feel it."

"You can feel around with your mind. You'll notice the place where that energy is weaker. Do you feel it?"

I sensed around. It wasn't hard to find it as it was as clear in my mind. It appeared like a faint dark crack in my mind. "I found it."

She continued, "Good job. Now the cracks, follow them. They will lead to the source of the crack. After that, feel the energy at the source. It'll feel different from the ones you're controlling around you."

It was quite different. It was like the difference between oil and water. They didn't seem to mix very well. "I feel it."

"That's good. That means you're pretty talented at this. Now, you'll have to... uhh, harmonize the 'energy' you're controlling with the wall. Can you do that? Push your energy through the crack slowly and merge with the wall."

"Got it." I visualized my energy as a soft, flowing light, intertwining with the crack. I could feel the wall responding, its resistance diminishing. The crack began to glow, a soft light emanating from the weak point.

"Now," Nova said softly, "use that connection to coax the wall open. Speak to it with your mind, tell it to part for you."

I projected my thoughts into the glowing crack, envisioning it widening, opening up to reveal a passage. The light grew brighter, and the wall seemed to ripple, its structure softening.

Slowly, the crack expanded, transforming into an archway of light. I could feel the wall's energy shifting, reshaping itself to allow me passage. It was as if the wall acknowledged me, accepting my presence.

I opened my eyes. It did part, just like in my visualization. I looked at Nova. Her eyes seemed to sparkle, "Well done. You're a natural at this."

"So like, how does it work? This seems more fantasy than scientific."

She grinned, "I know, right? But it's grounded in science. I'll tell you how it works when we're done with this."

I grinned back, "Sure."

We stepped through the now-parted wall into a vast, ethereal landscape where pathways of electric energy crisscrossed the air. Floating orbs of data hovered, pulsing with information.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"We're inside the data hub now. You see those orbs? Those are called Data Packets," she said as she pointed toward the orbs. "That's where most of the data are stored. Go on. Try touching it."

I walked forward curiously. The hexagonal tiles under my feet rose and formed a hill for me to reach the orb. I turned around to ask Nova what to do but she wasn't there anymore. She was gone, like the wind. I guess I'll just have to do it myself, I shrugged. I touched it. I prepared for the intense rush of information but it never came. Instead, what I got was a load of encrypted data that I couldn't access.

I scratched my head. I didn't really know how to access it. I remembered that I had a perk called AI Infiltrator. AIs are good at these types of things so let's try... Let's see. Just like that, I thought to myself as I tried to create an AI. I didn't really know how to create an AI here but I tried anyway. First, I tried the traditional way of writing code but that went nowhere so it was a bust. Second, I tried to make a body for the AI. Honestly, it looked clunky like a golem. So I tried to add code into it but I didn't succeed. So I tried something new. First, I created a core inside of the... 'golem' and injected some of my energy into it. Then I embedded the 'code' into the 'energy' and released it into the core.

The 'golem' got up but it did... nothing. It just stood there with its eyes glowing red. I shook my head and sighed, Do I have to teach it how to walk? Fuck. I, once again, embedded the core with a simple algorithm that taught him how to move around. It was surprisingly easy. Nope. I spoke too soon. It simply walked around, crashing into things. I modified it once again to make it walk towards the orbs and touch it. It worked wonderfully and it successfully made contact with the orb, which meant that it was probably decrypting it. I checked in and it was... Nope. It wasn't. It was learning how to decrypt by trial and error, mimicking human hackers in a rudimentary, clumsy fashion. I couldn't help but feel a mixture of frustration and amusement as I watched my creation repeatedly fail and restart its attempts.

I decided to take an alternate approach. I turned off the golem and tried to create a virtual AI. This time, I didn't make a body for the AI and instead, directly embedded the code into the energy without any container. I went for a more refined algorithmic approach this time. It was designed to adapt dynamically, using advanced algorithms and machine learning to tackle encryption.

I activated it and it immediately interfaced with the data packet. First, it cut down the data into multiple pieces to make it easier to decrypt them one by one. It identified and exploited encryption patterns with remarkable efficiency. The decryption process was significantly faster, and soon the data within the orb was accessible. To make it even more efficient, I decided to integrate an adaptive feedback loop, making it continuously learn from each attempt at an alarming rate. After waiting for a minute or two, it was successfully decrypted.

After I got the encryption key, I embedded it into my 'energy' and pushed it into the packet. I heard a faint humm which I took as a signal that it was unlocked. After that, I accessed the data packet. That was pretty easy, I thought to myself. Not bad at all. I tried not to grin.

Nova appeared in front of me and said, "Excellent. You're a natural at this. Are you sure this is your first time?"

"Yep. I didn't even know something like this existed." I admired the surroundings once again. It all felt like a dream. No, it felt like a fantasy.

She chuckled, "It is indeed quite special, isn't it?" She sighed, "Did you have fun today?"

I nodded eagerly, "Yes! Today was fun." I smiled at her, "Thanks for teaching me."

She nodded, "No problem."

I asked her, "So.... you said you would explain how all of this technology works?"

"Oh, right," she said, her eyes glinting with a mix of excitement and seriousness. "Alright. So, what you're seeing here isn't magic, although it might seem that way. This digital realm operates on the principles of quantum computing and neural interfacing. When you connected with the wall, you were actually interfacing with a quantum neural network."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised, "Quantum Neural Network?"

"Yes. Imagine a traditional neural network but on steroids. It leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to process data at unimaginable speeds and through multiple dimensions. The wall that you faced is a firewall in the quantum matrix, designed to be virtually impenetrable to conventional hacking methods. It adapts and evolves based on the data flow and intrusion attempts."

"Okay, but like, how did my 'energy' interact with it?"

She smiled, "Your 'energy' is actually a manifestation of your neural signals being interpreted by the quantum neural interface. When you reach out with your mind, you're sending these signals into the matrix, which the system translates into actions. The wall recognized your neural pattern as an authorized user once you harmonized with its quantum state. That’s why it parted for you."

I nodded, trying to grasp the concept, "And what about the AI I created? How did that work so effectively?"

"That part, I don't know. How did you create the AI anyway?"

"Well, I embedded the desired algorithm and code into the 'energy' or... my neural signals, and it just works."

She frowned, "That doesn't make sense. It doesn't work that way. Then why?" She pondered for a moment. Then she had a look of enlightenment, "I think it's the serum's doing. It gave you faster reflexes and more comprehension. It also probably boosts your brain so your neurons are also strengthened. Maybe they can bear more strain."

"Uhh, what?"

She explained, "You see, the reason we can't use our neurons to create advanced AI or anything like that is because we can't handle them. If we want to, we would need advanced neural chips installed just for it to be feasible. But since you can do it, that means your neurons are a lot stronger than before. You'll have greater thought speeds, reaction time, and memory. The reason you are probably learning better is because of that too."

"Ohhhh, I see. That makes sense." I barely understood that.

She sighed, "You're really lucky."

I shook my head, "No, I'm not."

She looked at me with analytical eyes. I sighed and shook my head again, "I'll tell you about it later when I'm ready."

She shrugged, "Sure. I'll hold you to that."

After that, we both logged out, leaving the wonderful world of web weaving behind for a moment.