James packed up and returned home. Carlos was watching the news when he walked in.
"Nice shooting," Carlos said, nodding as James set his gear down.
"It was good. But not enough. My weapons are limiting me. We need to talk about upgrades—soon."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James sat down on the table and ate a light meal. After a quick wash, he lay down on the bed, waiting for Cortana's upgrade to complete.
It was close to midnight when she finally responded—not through his retinal display this time, but directly into his mind.
[Upgrade complete.]
Her voice was clear, clinical—and for the first time, femininely vocal like Cortana.
"Wow, nice voice. Well? What's the upgrade?" James asked quickly.
[Thank you. Integration successful. I've processed the previously downloaded data and developed your brain to 20% increased efficiency. You're now officially categorized as a genius. With effort, you could match Stark intellectually.]
"That's not what I meant. What kind of abilities do I have now?"
[I don't grant abilities. I'm not an alien tech from one of your novels. But my system architecture now surpasses J.A.R.V.I.S. in both speed and range.]
"So no new powers?" James sighed, disappointed.
[Not exactly. I discovered something within you. Something that shouldn't exist in a standard human physiology.]
James sat up. "Something in my body? Why didn't I know?"
[It's not a foreign object. It's... space fragments. Located within what I would define as your soul.]
James frowned. "Soul, huh?" But thinking back to his transmigration, it wasn't so hard to believe. Souls had to be real.
[Correct. Your arrival in this universe was likely due to soul displacement. I couldn't interact with it before. Now I can access it directly. These space fragments are forming an independent internal space, similar to—a 'dantian' in your web novels.]
James chuckled. "I almost forgot I used to be a web novelist that involves cultivation."
[A failed one, based on your archives.]
"Touché," James said, unfazed. "Skip the past. Let's talk potential. How do I improve?"
[The internal storage space can eventually store items—gear, weapons, even your Umbra Sentinel armor. You could summon it instantly with a thought. However, that particular suit isn't optimized for your style. A redesign would be more effective.]
"Keep going."
[We could replicate and adapt abilities from League of Legends. For example, Ezreal's energy weapon—his Q-skill, Mystic Shot, and R-skill, Trueshot Barrage. Both are adaptable as long-range energy-based tech.]
James nodded. "So my offense scales with energy. Makes sense. What about gun-fu? Bullet Curve-style combat?"
[Not viable yet. However, we can look at Caitlyn from Piltover. Her long-range sniper rifle and R-skill Ace in the Hole offer a strong model. I can handle the targeting, though locking mechanisms will have range limitations.]
"That's something worth having." James leaned back, absorbing the intel.
[My upgrades are still bound to this universe's current tech. If I had access to more advanced systems, I could push further. If we can obtain the Tesseract, there is a possibility that your potential increases exponentially.]
James sat up again. "Tesseract? You mean the Space Stone?"
[Correct. S.H.I.E.L.D. currently has it. If we secure it, your internal storage space could evolve further. It might even allow safe integration of cosmic energy.]
"Can it block the space stone's gamma emissions?"
[Yes. Your soul-born storage space is fragmented, but stable. It was likely formed during your transition between realities. There is no better way to explain it, but it's isolated from the rest of physical space.]
"And how do we build these weapons?"
[We'll need Stark's lab. You don't have the tools to build precision weaponry. But I am able to draft a blueprint based on the available weapons data and behavior as well as the tech and discoveries of this world.]
"Great! I want a modular shoulder and arm-based system. No connection points needed."
[Understood. But the reactor needed will be larger than the standard core. Think of it like a proto-Gauntlet rig.]
"What about the Tesseract—how would I use that, if I ever got it?"
[If it recognizes you as its bearer, it will manifest as a true gem—just like those embedded in the Infinity Gauntlet.]
James narrowed his eyes. "Recognition? That sounds vague."
[It is. There's no method to force resonance. If your internal storage space aligns with its energy signature, it might respond. But it's chance-based.]
"Chance? Since when do AIs believe in luck?"
[As an intelligent system, I don't. But even I have limitations. Some outcomes depend on incalculable variables that are yet observable or readable due to limiting technology.]
James smirked. "That almost sounded human. I like it. Let's start designing."
[Beginning prototype layout. Be aware—the new reactor will bulk up your left arm unit.]
"Like the Tesseract isn't bulky. If I manage to get it, how the hell would I even carry it?"
[If bonded, it becomes compact. Until then, we adapt.]
They continued the design process for hours. Sometime after 3:00 a.m., James's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen—Phil Coulson.
More and more people had his confidential number now, especially with his growing public profile as a tech founder.
"James, sorry to call this late," Coulson said. "But we need you in New Mexico— immediately. Something unusual just hit our radar."
"Tony?"
"That Mission's done. Your assignment with Stark is complete. This is new. You're needed on-site."
James's mind shifted gears immediately.
New Mexico. Something unusual. Thor!
He remembered the lore. The hammer. The desert. And the Destroyer.
If that armor showed up, it wouldn't go down easy—not even with the new weapons.
And he definitely wasn't ready.