A few months had passed since Alex had settled into his new rhythm. Life was a steady flow of study, trading, office work, and exploration of his ever-growing skill set. His days had become predictable, yet fulfilling in their own way. Each morning began with a jog, followed by meditation—what he now called Flowstrike Mode. The name stuck in his mind because it perfectly captured the fluidity of movement combined with mental focus he practiced every day.
After his jogs, Alex would typically spend time sharpening his mind in different ways. He had joined an online hacking community a while back, finding a new thrill in the challenge of breaking into and securing systems. It wasn't malicious—just a way to hone his counter-hacking skills and test his abilities in the real world. The community had no idea who he really was or what he was capable of. They just knew him as another eager member, always asking the right questions and moving swiftly through the ranks. Alex liked that anonymity. It reminded him of the Stargazer persona he'd built up over time.
He smiled as he thought about the recent conversations in the hacker group. It had been exhilarating, watching everyone work through challenges and learning from their successes and mistakes. The banter in the group felt similar to his interactions on the Stargazer forum—a community of minds eager to push boundaries, each person finding joy in discovery.
In between those hacking sessions, Alex would trade stocks, his mind sharp and focused, always a step ahead of the market. With Cognichip guiding him, he had become even more precise in predicting trends. The occasional profits had turned into substantial gains over the months, though he didn't make a big deal out of it. It was all part of the larger puzzle he enjoyed solving.
The office still called on him from time to time. Whenever a particularly challenging project landed on their desk, they would reach out, knowing he had an uncanny ability to solve problems. Alex didn't mind—it kept him connected and gave him just the right amount of distraction from his other pursuits. Plus, the steady stream of appreciation from his colleagues was nice, even if he never sought it out.
In the evenings, after his trades and hacking adventures, Alex would return to his beloved Stargazer forum. The community there had grown, and the discussions about meditation and self-improvement had deepened. More people were reporting successes with meditation, though no one had yet reached the second level. He could tell, however, that it was only a matter of time before someone did. The progress reports from various users hinted that some were close.
One night, while casually skimming through posts, a message notification popped up. It was from Arjun ---cosmic traveler.
"Alex, I hope you're doing well. I wanted to share some exciting news. I finally had a breakthrough! It was incredible, just like you said. I experienced a block for a while, but once it cleared, it was like everything clicked into place. My mind feels sharper, my memory is… it's insane. I can recall everything with so much detail now. It's almost like I have a photographic memory! Thank you for all your guidance. It feels like I'm finally making real progress."
Alex leaned back in his chair, smiling. He had been keeping tabs on Arjun's journey, silently rooting for him to push past his plateau. It wasn't a surprise that he had broken through, but the fact that Arjun had reached out to him again, sharing his success, filled Alex with a quiet pride.
He typed a response:
"That's incredible news, Arjun! I'm glad to hear about your breakthrough. The memory recall will definitely help you in more ways than one, especially with your court case. Keep practicing, and remember—each level brings its own challenges and rewards. Stay patient, and don't rush the process, and again, you can call me Alex in private chats, but in group forum, use my pen name, I would like to remain anonymous."
After hitting send, Alex paused for a moment, reflecting on how far both he and Arjun had come. It was strange, really. When he had first started on this journey with Cognichip, he never imagined he'd be here, guiding others through similar experiences. He'd never expected the joy he found in watching people grow, whether it was through the Stargazer forum or the hacking community, Arjun also knows his name, he can't change that, but he will try to make sure more didn't know if it, besides there are too many Alexs' in the world.
Arjun's message, though, got him thinking. While Alex had always been low-key about his progress, hearing about someone else's breakthrough reignited a sense of wonder in him. He'd become so focused on his routine—jogs, trading, hacking, training—that he hadn't really paused to marvel at his own growth in a while.
The truth was, despite all the things he had mastered, there was still so much more to learn. That's what made it exciting. Alex thrived on that feeling—the sense that there was always a new puzzle to solve, a new skill to master.
As he sat there, staring at the screen, he found himself tracing back his own steps. The first time he had accessed Cognichip, the thrill of understanding the stock market, the precision of his training. Each success had built upon the last, leading him to this moment. And now, his community—the people he quietly mentored—were beginning to experience their own breakthroughs.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. Why not take a step back from the routine for a while? He had mastered martial arts, he had his firearm training down, and his trades were running smoothly. Maybe it was time to dive deeper into something new. The idea of encryption and cybersecurity had piqued his interest, but now he felt the need to push even further, to see just how far Cognichip could take him in that field.
He grinned, feeling a familiar excitement bubble up. It was time for another deep dive, this time into the world of hacking and anti-hacking, learning to shield himself from online scrutiny and protect his data with the kind of precision and mastery he'd brought to everything else.
And, of course, there would be training—there was always training. But it would be more deliberate now, with Cognichip set to a higher level, focused on pushing the boundaries of what he thought possible.
Alex stretched, ready to dive into another night of learning and discovery. Arjun's message had been the spark, reminding him of the thrill that came from growth, from pushing beyond the limits of what you thought you could do.
He clicked back into his hacker community forum, ready to see what new challenges awaited him there, eager to keep pushing forward.