476 Ad Infinitum - Kai's Mind Structure
Ad Infinitum was exactly what it sounded and meant, Kai came to know in the next hour.
Infinite! Forevermore!
Endless!!
The more Samurai Jack taught about the theories, the more Kai's face paled. Even he, the so-called genius and hope of a world, felt it was just impossible. This wasn't even a Structure anymore.
It was a World!
According to you, a human brain has over 100 billion neurons. Jack had begun his teachings, recalling what Kai had told him. These neurons communicate in trillions of connections called synapses, creating a web of one of the most complex pathways. Memories are nothing but a set of selective pathways among this web, and what seems to be a single memory is actually a complex composite of different areas of the brain being activated.
Kai had nodded in return, then.
This was what the High Priest of Many-faced God had told Kai in return for him agreeing to assassinate Set Lord of the 2nd Set. After that, Kai had been given access to Occlumency materials in the Temple's library as well.
The explanations of the High Priest were still the truest and thorough Kai had come across, even after reincarnating in the World of Harry Potter.
It had truly shown him how far the Faceless Contestants had come in the Primordial Tower in the fields of Occlumency and Legilimency.
This was how the following conversations had taken place.
"Now, using Mana, you can give shape to those pathways or memories," Jack continued. "When you have given shape to all your memories and arranged them into a set structure, it is called a Mind Structure.
"An unchecked emotion can trigger a memory, which, in turn, can trigger thoughts. Thoughts then trigger more memories, causing chaos within the Mind Structure. Hence, it's advised to separate and secure this Mind Structure from external influences, like the attacks from Legilimens, within a barrier."
Kai nodded again.
Just like the High Priest had the Mind Structure in the form of a PC, where he kept his memories in files. But the actual barrier he had used was Encrypting those files.
Both the Mind Structure and the Barrier, together, formed an Occlumency System.
This was a statement Kai and Samurai Jack had already concluded in the last century. But what Jack told Kai next left him stunned and stupefied.
"I think," Jack mumbled as if he too did not know what was talking and thinking about. "I think we can go a step further. A step… more insane. A step—suited just to you. What I came up with, following this train of thought, was Ad Infinitum.
"It is not a Mind Structure. Nor is it a Barrier. Ad Infinitum combines both concepts into one. Yes. Only in this way, one can make sure that it will have infinite growth potential."
In itself, Ad Infinitum was simple to understand.
It consisted of 3 steps — Gravitational Collapse, Crystal Formation, and Crystal Arrangement.
"Your Consciousness takes the form of an Ocean of Yellow Mist," Jack said, pointing at what Kai had shared with him. "The first step is to make this ocean undergo gravitational collapse, just like a Nebula. It can be done by condensing your scattered memories toward one point.
"The second step is to use this Nursery to compress a memory into a multifaceted Crystal. It can be done by Sealing the memory into that Crystal.
"The third step is to arrange this Crystal into the space of your Subconscious mind, assigning a Coordinate to it; just like a space coordinate. Using this coordinate, you can access this memory anytime you want."
By the time Jack finished the first part of his teachings, the corners of Kai's lips were twitching. Subconscious? Wasn't Jack indirectly telling him to "isolate" that Crystal from his Conscious Mind?
"You must have guessed it by now," Jack added. "I have taken Reality Marble's principle as the basis. As a Reality Marble keeps the "content within" hidden from Reality, despite the Reality being aware of it, in the same way, you must keep the Crystal hidden in your Subconscious, hidden from your Conscious Mind. This means you must assign a part of your mind to keep the Crystal in isolation."
If this was it, then Kai knew Jack would have told him it would be impossible for him to complete this even in 10000 years.
Things had just started.
Indeed, Jack's tone became too solemn after that introduction.
"When you have done so," Jack continued, "you must repeat the 3 Steps, creating a 2nd multifaceted Crystal, sealing a memory in it, and then arranging it in your subconscious. Not only that, you must assign a coordinate to it in such a way that these two Crystals in your subconscious reflect each other completely.
"In this way, it will be impossible to tell at a glance where the Crystal getting reflected is located. Just like an object placed between two mirrors gets reflected an infinite number of times, your two memories in these 1st and 2nd Crystal will also keep reflecting infinitely in the observer's eye, or the Legilimens trying to force out or pry into your memories."
Kai was gobsmacked.
By arranging 2 Crystals in his subconscious, wouldn't he be dividing his mind into one more part to keep the 2nd Crystal in isolation?
Kai didn't mind dividing his mind, for he already did so when Acting as Darcie Malfoy. The thing was if he was right, things hadn't ended there.
Sure enough, Jack had more to say, his voice becoming graver and more solemn than ever.
"After doing so, you must repeat the 3 steps," Jack had said, closing his eyes as if he dared not look at Kai's colorless face. "Create a 3rd multifaceted Crystal, seal a memory in it, and arrange it in your subconscious in such a way that all 3 Crystals reflect each other. And then 4th… 5th… 6th… 7th… 100th… 1000th…"
STOP! Kai had shouted, his blooded mouth going dry.
Jack ignored him. "You must keep doing so, until all the infinite Crystals in your mind reflect all other infinite Crystals, creating a self-sustaining Structure that even looking at it will turn one into a simpleton."
Kai slumped back against the wall, sickened, motionless, and aghast. Was this… the only way? He couldn't do it? How could anyone do it? This wasn't even humane anymore.
It bordered on being a Horror.
"I thought I was going crazy," Kai blurted out, his eyes trembling. "But, no. It's you. You are the crazier one. Far crazier than I will ever be. How did you even come up with this… impossibility?"
"Impossible?" Jack answered, his dark eyes glinting. "No. I remember you told me about your Items. Two things can help you in creating hundreds of Crystals easily."
Kai frowned in return. "What two Items?"
"Didn't you mention that flower to me?" Jack asked. "Blue Spider Lily. It will grant you the Ability of Conscious Manipulation. With time, it will keep becoming easier for you to divide your mind into many threads, keeping each Crystal in isolation. How you will deal with Disintegration in sunlight, is your problem.
"Second, the Dark Scroll Alchemical Elixir. This potion will let you increase your computational capacity by 100%. And it will not be just 100%, but a 100% increase in each thread of divided consciousness. With such an increase, it will become easier for you to create tens of thousands of Crystals."
Kai gulped, listening to Jack's words. He hadn't told Jack in the past that this Dark Scroll Alchemical Elixir didn't belong to Island X, but to a World vastly far and different.
Jack noticed the shadow of doubt on Kai's face before sighing. "It's hard, I agree. It's hard beyond measure. But—let me add—Ad Infinitum is not a Defensive or Memory Storing Mechanism in its essence, but an Offensive one."
What?! Kai's all pores had throbbed in shock then.
Jack only nodded in return. "Imagine a Legilimens entering your mind, your Subconscious, to manipulate or see your memory, thinking that you do not know he is there. In this case, he will never know that you always keep a thread of your consciousness attached to the Crystal, isolating it in your subconscious. The nature of Ad Infinitum is so that this intruder can never pinpoint the location of the memory he had come looking for.
"Now, when he returns, don't let him go empty-handed. Slip one of the Crystals into his Mind. This Crystal, following the command of your consciousness thread, will hide in the intruder's subconscious, like a virus; like a parasite. And then it can begin corrupting and corroding the intruder's Mind from within, without him ever knowing its existence. By the time this Crystal will be done with him, either he will have died or become your slave; an eternal slave."
"…"
Kai lacked words to show his… thrill.
"Moreover," Jack hurriedly added, seeing the smile on Kai's face, "you can even take initiation by yourself using Legilimency to plant a Crystal in others' minds. My student—
"—Even Gods will have no choice but to fall if you can reach the peak of this Structure. This is my belief in Ad Infinitum. Whether to walk on this path or not, I leave this to you. Be warned, though.
"This is a path of incredible peril, where even the tiniest mistake can cause the thorough destruction of your mind. If you were to lose hold of a thread of consciousness, then that Crystal, that memory, is as good as gone. Now, go. When you come next time, tell me your choice. We will discuss how to take each step on this path, then. Not before. Go."
Reluctant as he was, it was then Kai had left the Samurai's Hut, his mind rumbling, thinking of Jack's words repeatedly.
Ad Infinitum… Ad Infinitum… Kai kept mumbling in his mind, his body aching. Why do I feel so odd; so insignificant against the might of this Structure? Only once have I felt so, I remember. Only once.
As Kai disappeared into the vortex, he recalled that moment. When he had come to know what it meant by having True Power. Absolute Power.
It was the time—when he had first seen the Yellow Door; when he had first seen the Tattered Robes.
And when he had first seen the shadow of the King in Yellow.
The shadow of the Old One—Hastur.
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AN: Before asking doubts related to it, read it again. I have done my best in explaining it in the chapter itself. Further discussion might just confuse you more.
