My System Is An Artificial Super Intelligence

Finally Ready To Live Life

A sleek black town car pulled up to the hospital curb within three minutes of Levi exiting the sliding glass doors. He climbed into the back seat and let his head rest against the soft leather cushion. The premium ride service cost ten times the rate of a standard cab. He did not even look at the receipt on his phone screen.

The driver merged onto the highway toward the Silver Pine District. This was the wealthiest commercial sector in the city. Levi had only ever seen the towering glass boutiques and pristine walkways in online videos.

"Your core body temperature is stabilizing," Aura stated clearly in his mind. "I have diverted minor energy reserves to accelerate tissue repair around your fractured rib. You will feel a slight localized heat."

A warm sensation bloomed in his chest. The sharp stabbing pain faded into a manageable dull ache. Levi took a deep breath and watched the towering skyscrapers of the financial sector approach.

"Thank you," Levi thought. "Keep me patched up until we get food."

The car stopped in front of a sprawling electronics boutique constructed entirely of seamless glass. Levi stepped onto the clean sidewalk and walked through the front doors. A young salesman in a fitted blue polo shirt approached him with a practiced customer service smile. The smile faltered for a fraction of a second when the clerk noticed the dried blood on Levi's collar.

"Welcome," the clerk said smoothly. "Can I help you find something specific today?"

"I need hardware," Levi replied. "Your flagship workstation laptop with the highest processor capacity in stock. I also need your premium smartphone model and a pair of noise canceling headphones."

The clerk blinked in surprise. These items combined cost several months of an average salary. The salesman glanced down at Levi's battered canvas shoes.

"Those specific models are kept in the secure vault," the clerk explained carefully. "The total cost will exceed twelve thousand dollars."

Levi did not argue or attempt to explain his appearance. He pulled out his cracked phone and opened the digital payment terminal. He held the screen toward the clerk.

"Bring them out," Levi said. "I am paying in full right now."

The transaction took less than thirty seconds. The payment gateway flashed green. The clerk rushed to the back room and returned with three pristine black boxes. 

“Congratulations, Admin. Would you like an instant transfer of all your data to your new devices?”

“Yes please” Levi replied, unsurprised. 

He dropped the old device into a nearby recycling bin without a second thought.

Levi carried his new devices three blocks down the avenue to a luxury menswear store. The interior smelled of cedar and expensive leather. A distinguished tailor with silver hair greeted him near the entrance.

"I need a complete wardrobe replacement," Levi instructed. "Everything from shoes to a jacket. I need clothes that fit me right now. I will wear them out of the store."

The tailor eyed the bruises on Levi's face but maintained perfect professional composure. After all, secret billionaires are known to do this all the time. He guided Levi to a dressing room and began pulling items from the premium racks. Levi tried on a pair of dark tailored trousers and a crisp charcoal button down shirt. He stepped into a pair of soft leather loafers that provided excellent support for his tired arches.

He looked at himself in the full length mirror. The high end fabric draped over his frame perfectly. He still had a split lip and a bruised cheek. The damage no longer made him look like a victim. It made him look dangerous and wealthy.

"The physiological transformation is notable," Aura commented. "Your posture has corrected itself. Your cortisol levels are dropping to a healthy baseline."

Levi paid the tailor and told him to throw his ruined street clothes into the incinerator. He walked back out onto the avenue feeling like an entirely different person. The suffocating weight of poverty was gone.

Aura issued a sharp alert in his mind. "Host caloric deficit is reaching critical levels. My data processing requires substantial biological fuel. You must consume high density protein immediately."

Levi felt a sudden ravenous hunger gnaw at his stomach. He looked across the street and spotted The Monarch Room. It was a legendary restaurant known for catering exclusively to corporate executives and wealthy heirs. He crossed the street and walked through the doors.

Levi felt his chest tighten. His breath hitched in his throat. He had spent three years budgeting every single cent he earned. He used to calculate the exact cost of a pack of instant ramen just to ensure he could make rent at the end of the month. Spending four hundred dollars on a single piece of meat triggered a deep ingrained panic.

"Your heart rate is spiking again," Aura observed. "Are you experiencing pain?"

"No," Levi thought back. "I am looking at a steak that costs more than my old car payments."

"Your current digital asset portfolio exceeds fourteen billion dollars," Aura reminded him gently. "You generate four hundred dollars in passive interest every fraction of a second. The price of this meal is irrelevant to your survival."

Levi closed his eyes and forced himself to exhale. Aura was right. His bank account had evolved over night. His brain was still struggling to catch up. He had to stop thinking like a starving student.

The waiter returned to the table with a silver water pitcher. "Have you decided on your order sir?"

"I will take the ribeye," Levi said. His voice was steady. "Medium rare. Bring me a side of roasted potatoes and whatever your best appetizer is."

Levi leaned back against the plush leather booth and unboxed his new laptop. He flipped the screen open. The machine booted up instantly. The processing speed was incredible. He felt Aura interface with the hardware through his localized network connection.

Three tables away from his booth sat a group of young women dressed in designer dresses and expensive jewelry. They belonged to the elite social circles of the city. One of them leaned across her table and nodded discreetly toward Levi.

"Who is that?" the blonde woman whispered to her friends. "I have never seen him at the country club."

"Look at his clothes," a brunette replied softly. "He must be old money. But look at his face. He looks like he just walked out of a street fight."

“Does that matter? He's so young…”

“And handsome…”

They watched him type rapidly on his keyboard. Levi was focused on the lines of code cascading across his screen. Without the bags under his eyes and the constant slump of anxiety dragging him down, his natural features were sharp and striking. The bruising on his jaw only added a rugged contrast to his pristine designer clothing.

One of the women offered a polite and inviting smile in his direction. She waited for him to make eye contact.

Levi did not look up. He was completely oblivious to their attention. The waiter arrived and placed a massive sizzling steak in front of him. The smell of charred meat and roasted garlic hit his senses.

"Consume the protein," Aura instructed. "I am preparing to run a localized memory integration test on your neural pathways."

Levi picked up his fork and knife. He cut into the rich meat and took his first bite. The flavor exploded on his tongue. He realized he had never actually tasted real food before. He chewed the steak and felt the rich nutrients flood his exhausted system. He ignored the wealthy women staring at him from across the room. He had a supercomputer in his head and billions in the bank. He was finally ready to live.