Title: Cosmic Mindscape: Rise of a Hidden Power

During one of his meditation exercises, Alex found himself reminiscing about his farewell party at the bookkeeping firm. It all played back so vividly in his mind—every word, every expression—as if he were experiencing it in real-time.

He could still picture Jane, with her nervous glances and barely concealed tension, as she seemed to want to say something important that night. Her eyes had lingered on him longer than usual, almost as if she was trying to communicate a secret. He hadn't pushed her back then, distracted by his own thoughts about the future and the whirlwind of farewells that came with leaving the firm. Maybe she had been on the verge of confessing something about her strange behavior lately or Dan's advances. He hadn't really noticed it at the time, too wrapped up in his own decisions and the anticipation of moving forward.

The memory of Dan's farewell gift, the polished leather portfolio, felt oddly hollow now. Dan had worn that same smug smile, offering it with a few careless words of encouragement. Alex remembered feeling amused at the time, more bemused than touched by the gesture. Mark had always seemed more interested in appearances than genuine connections. That moment had been no different.

As Alex recalled the events, they seemed even sharper, clearer, than when they had actually happened. It was almost as if his mind had developed its own kind of superpower. Even without using Cognichip, he could now recreate moments with perfect clarity, able to relive them without missing any detail. That was the benefit of mental strength level 2—his memory had transformed into something almost otherworldly.

He took a deep breath, feeling the depth of his mind as he continued meditating. It was strange, really—how with just mental strength alone, he had access to something so powerful. He wondered about what would come with level 3. Would it be just like Cognichip, but naturally integrated into his mind? What if, in the end, his mental strength would mirror everything the shard had originally offered, and more?

The thought unsettled him briefly. Had he made the wrong choice by transforming the shard into Cognichip in the first place? Would the natural progression of his mental strength have granted him the same abilities, only without the cost of overclocking his mind in smart mode?

He shook his head slightly, pushing the thought aside. What was done was done. There was no point in second-guessing his decision now. For now, all he could do was look forward, to continue building his strength and mastering his abilities. But the question lingered at the back of his mind: What would mental strength at its highest level really look like?