Blood Assimilation

Just as Randy was about to question the system regarding the lack of visible changes in the tome, he felt a sudden pulse of energy, like a heartbeat, emanating from the tome. Subsequently, the Ancient Black Tome, pulled by a mystical force, floated above his palm, shrouded in a brilliant light that caused him to squint his eyes momentarily.
Experience more tales on empire

When the mystical radiance subsided, the tome gently descended back into his hand — not like an object in free fall, as though it consciously eased into his grasp, avoiding any force that might cause discomfort.

Randy realized that the tome's smooth descent wasn't an aftereffect of the Wisdom Scroll. The Wisdom Scroll's energy had already dissipated the moment the tome stopped glowing, meaning the tome was now moving of its own volition.

As the system had indicated, the Ancient Black Tome appeared to have gained sentience, and its newfound intelligence was immediately apparent based on the ease with which it controlled its form. As he pondered over the changes in the Ancient Black Tome, a sound echoed in his mind, startling him, and pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Master, thank you for blessing me with complete sentience." A youthful voice spoke, expressing their gratitude.

Alerted, Randy looked around him, searching for the source of the voice. Confirming he was alone in the Safe Room, he relaxed. With a moment's deliberation, he turned to the Ancient Black Tome in his grasp at the moment.

'Is the voice in my head… Could the tome be the source?' The realization made Randy's eyes widen in disbelief. Despite his astonishment, he quickly composed himself, eager to confirm his suspicions.

"You can speak?" He asked tentatively, examining the tome with rapt attention.

"Yes, Master." The tome's ego replied, simultaneously levitating without any command or control from Randy.

From the system's description, Randy had already known that the Wisdom Scroll could grant objects it has blessed with sentience, but he hadn't expected the newly sentient tome to communicate so fluently immediately afterward.

Gaining sentience alone was one thing. However, gaining sentience and comprehending language and self-expression were completely different from simply possessing sentience or consciousness.

In nature, many animals exhibit intelligence or self-awareness, but their communication methods are limited and far less sophisticated compared to humans, who can use different modes of communication and myriad languages to convey complex ideas and expressions.

When he learned that the Ancient Black Tome would become sentient through the blessing of the Wisdom Scroll, Randy had assumed the tome would simply understand his intentions when commanded, perhaps turning to the desired page or transferring information directly to his mind, similar to a non-verbal artificial intelligence with magical capabilities. But, he had clearly underestimated the scope of its transformation.

Clearing his thoughts, he focused his attention on the tome.

"So, what can you do besides speak?"

"Master, I can share all knowledge contained within my vessel with you and anyone permitted by you. I can also elucidate the contents of the transferred knowledge, helping the master and others authorized by the master to grasp it more quickly. Additionally, with your permission, I can execute and employ any command or spell within my vessel independently." The tome's ego explained.

"I see." Randy nodded, his eyes briefly flashing with intrigue and astonishment.

'Interesting… Just as I'd suspected, it can manage its own knowledge. I didn't have to waste the gift from the Grand Librarian, an unfathomable being, just to unlock the contents of an old tome when I could grant it sentience. By granting the tome sentience, it can now divulge its secrets willingly through the established contract, which formed automatically when I willed for the Wisdom Scroll to grant it sentience.' Randy thought, having confirmed his expectation.

With a calm demeanor, Randy posed another question, a thought occurring to him.

"Since we're bound by contract, can you sense my incarnations?"

"One moment, master. Allow me to connect to your soul, master." The tome's ego requested permission, which Randy readily granted. Afterward, the ancient tome glowed faintly, then dimmed.

"I can sense three dependent souls linked to the master's soul. Are those the incarnations master is referring to?" The artifact ego inquired.

"Yes, exactly." Randy confirmed with a satisfied smile.

Randy felt a mix of shock and excitement over the sentient tome's capabilities, particularly its autonomy — even if it still required his permission. The possibilities of such a function were endless. For instance, he could send the tome's ego to any of his incarnations, allowing it to assist them without leaving the Safe Room.

Although he hadn't yet learned all the knowledge within the ancient tome, once he did, he reckoned he could exert influence over many things in the outside world without stepping beyond his sanctuary, an advantage that would also enhance his safety. However, even without learning all the knowledge within the tome, he could still employ the autonomous feature of the newly sentient tome to assist his incarnations outside if they were to encounter trouble.

"By the way, what did you mean by me blessing you with 'complete sentience'?" Randy asked, recalling the tome's earlier words that hinted it might have been somewhat aware of its state even before gaining full sentience.

"Master may not realize this, but having existed for a long time, I did possess a form of sentience, albeit restricted by the seals my previous owner placed upon my vessel." The tome's ego replied.

"Initially, the seals were not intended to last so long, but when I awakened, I instinctively understood my purpose. Therefore, I reinforced the seals on my vessel, preventing anyone from accessing my contents." The artifact ego explained further.

"You mean you're the reason I had to spend so many divine points just to break a few seals?" Randy asked, his expression twitching in restrained annoyance. Though tempted to voice his frustration, he chose to hold back and listen to the artifact's explanation.

Sensing the displeasure in his voice, the artifact ego's physical form trembled slightly in his hands.

"That… Yes, master. After reinforcing the seal, I fell into a dormant state. I was driven by instinct back then and wasn't fully aware of my surroundings." The artifact ego explained, attempting to justify its actions.

Upon hearing this response, Randy shook his head, and the tome nervously trembled further in his grasp.

"There's no need to overthink it or explain further. I only wanted confirmation, nothing more." Realizing his question had elicited such a reaction, Randy reassured the artifact ego.

This interaction confirmed the artifact's extraordinary scope of intelligence and sensitivity. Its awareness extended to perceiving the emotions of others, which made it function almost like a living being with its own responses and reactions.

Randy also speculated that its perception of his emotional states as its master was likely more considerable as they were bound by contract. He surmised that it might not necessarily have the same level of discernment and perception of emotions when it came to other beings not bound to it.

"Thank you, master." The tome's ego replied, clearly relieved. It was newly sentient and didn't want to risk upsetting its master before fully enjoying its newfound existence.

"You can wait on the side while I continue my meditation." Randy instructed after a moment's thought.

"Once I reach a threshold required to comprehend the tome's content, inform me. I'll need your assistance in mastering that knowledge." He added.

"Understood, master." The artifact ego responded, hovering gracefully to the floor beside him.

Meanwhile, Randy resumed his meditation, closing his eyes.

Moments later, a sudden voice echoed in his mind, interrupting his focus. Annoyed, Randy opened his eyes and directed a displeased look at the tome. Before he could speak, the artifact ego quickly explained.

"Master, please don't be upset. I discovered some information in my vessel that I felt you should be aware of."

"What is it?" Randy asked curtly.

"It's regarding the incarnations you mentioned earlier, master." The artifact ego replied hastily.

"The incarnations… What about them?" Randy asked, relaxing slightly.

"Master, it appears that the Incarnation Technique, along with many other techniques and skills within my vessel, was elevated when I gained complete sentience." The artifact ego explained, a hint of excitement evident in its tone.