John jolted awake with a sharp crack, like a fishing line being snapped. His heart pounded as he struggled to sit up, tangled in his sleeping bag. He had no idea where he was or what was going on. A crackling sound ran in john's ears, this time closer. With a burst of adrenaline, he broke free from the sleeping bag and looked up. There it was – a bolt of lightning streaked through the sky, but it wasn't shaped like normal lightning. It looked more like a bunch of dark Tetris blocks with a weird blue outline. But that wasn't what truly grabbed John's attention. The mountain in the distance looked like someone was fishing off of it, using the lightning itself as a line. John could almost see a giant hook at the end of it, getting closer and closer. Then, one of the blocky bolts of lightning struck John directly. He was blinded by a flash of light and fell backward into the darkness.

When John regained consciousness, the sun was shining, and a bunch of crows were squawking loudly around his campsite. He was still by the river, but something felt off. He asked Max, "Hey, did anything weird happen last night? I had a really strange dream." Max responded, "Not that I'm aware of, John. Other than your snoring, which was louder than a chainsaw this time, everything seems normal."

John ignored the snarky comment. "Do a scan of the area, Max. Temp, humidity, everything." "Sure thing," Max said. "Looks like it's going to be a clear blue-sky day with an average temperature of 72 degrees. Water temp's a bit cool at 64 degrees, and humidity is now at 10%, which is really dry for this time of year."

John noticed a crow feather lying on the ground beside him. He picked it up, turning it over in his hands. It felt strangely warm. This left John confused. He wasn't sure if the lightning strike and the whole fishing off the mountain thing was real or not. He got to his feet and headed down to the riverbank. The whole scene felt weird and unsettling. Those crows were watching him, perched in the trees, their beady eyes never leaving him. He shivered a little and stuffed the crow feather in his pocket.

Down by the river, John took a long drink. The water had a cool, crisp taste with just a hint of minerals. It was refreshing, and it helped clear his head a little. He decided to take a quick swim to wake up and then dived into the cool water. When he surfaced, he called out to Max, "Hey, I've got an idea. Let's test something." John closed his eyes and said, "Max, initiate augmented virtual reality mode." Suddenly, the world around him changed. It was the same, but different. There's a digital overlay on everything, highlighting details John never noticed before. He dove back underwater, the overlay following him. It was like wearing high-tech goggles, but with his eyes closed. He could see everything beneath the surface – rocks, plants, even the fish darting around. After a few minutes, John swam back to shore. He'd found the augmented reality useful, and it could be helpful for fishing but that would feel like cheating to john.

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Back on land, John decided to gather some food. Closing his eyes, he focused, the augmented reality highlighting promising spots. He found mushrooms growing near an old, rotten stump. Something about the stump caught his eye, so he used a stick to pry it apart. Inside was an old squirrel stash filled with seeds and nuts. John gathered some of the mushrooms, leaving the nut and seeds for the crows, who were watching with hungry anticipation. John finished his makeshift breakfast. Picking up his fishing rod out of habit, he found himself drawn to different movements, almost like a dance. It felt natural, like he'd done this before.

"Max," John said, "I need information on Tai Chi. My grandfather used to do it." "On it," Max replied. " I have videos, historical data, I can even make a virtual instructor, showing you what the intended movement would look." "I think I can figure it out," John said, a spark of determination in his voice. " I have a feeling I might be able to create a new style using this fly rod."

John closed his eyes, focusing on the movements he remembered from his grandfather. The augmented reality display kicked in, showing him basic Tai Chi postures and forms. He started to copy the movements, holding his long bamboo fly rod. It felt natural, like he'd always done this. After a few minutes, John said, "Max, I like this routine. Can you set up a reminder for me to do this before I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning?" "Of course," Max responded. "What would you like to name these reminders?" a sly smile spread across john's face. "Fly Chi."