God Of Crafting

Chapter 133: The ritual of the hunt

"Just how did it do it?"

This question was a lot more valid than it appeared to me when I first thought it out.

Earlier, I just assumed that there existed some sort of AI subroutine that simply fit into the nervous system of those beasts, allowing the AI to manipulate them once those beasts absorbed a sufficient amount of the infested Qi.

But now that I look back on this idea... It didn't make the slightest sense!

'How could an AI, a spiritual energy-anchored consciousness infuse itself into the flesh and bone of those beasts to make them do its bidding?'

A question seemingly with no answer... But as proved by practice, a feat that was certainly possible - because it happened.

Yet, even after taking a moment to think about it, any form of complex and wholesome answer simply eluded me.

'Maybe I should go with the theory that's staring me right in the face, then?' I thought, gritting my teeth at the mere idea of accepting a simple explanation for this extremely complex problem.

In theory... there was a chance that the AI somehow found a way to use spiritual energy to interact with physical matter directly. A method I was more than just interested in given my crafting tendencies and endless thirst for new tools capable of transforming magic into one form or another to use modern technology to improve it before reversing the process.

But it was that, or...

Even though it's been likely the longest Claire talked on a single breath anywhere near me, I just couldn't stop myself from listening.

In one way or form, she was doing a great job at condensing and simplifying stuff, so that I could get the general gist of the circumstances as opposed to their long, deep, and detailed particulars.

"For a cultivator, hunt begins not with the preparation of tools, but a proper conditioning of their mindset. That part, however, is not uniform across the different hunts, as everyone gets to pick their own imaginery of it.

For example, there are those who go on a hunt in w bid to better understand mortality in order to have an easier time overcoming it, then there are others who purely seek to better understand strength or agility..." Enjoy tales on m-vle-mp _yr.

Claire shook her head.

"Whatever it is that you try to understand or overcome during the hunt, it will also decide the rest of your preparation. But overall, you need to raise your cultivation to your current limits and enter the hunt at your peak state, fully prepared to pay the price of enlightenment in blood and broken bones if not even your very death."

At this point, Claire finally started to tire down a little.

"For most, hunts are less about resources you can obtain from them, but this very act of seeking a better understanding of the world," Claire's lips curved up in a skittish smirk, "to see a world in a droplet of water, you could say."

Hearing those words, my smile only grew further.

"As for the loot itself?" I then encouraged the girl to keep going, sensing how we were finally approaching the point at which I hoped to shed some light on the mystery of the connection between that malicious AI and the monsters it controlled.

"It all depends on the beast, so you generally get a fair amount of energy-rich meat, maybe some durable fur and or shell, a bunch of spiritual cores..." Claire counted the items of only to summarize them with a shake of her shoulders. "Oh, and for every beast that you slay, you will obtain their very own bestial core."