"So this is the interface." Tanner noticed that behind the corner TV, there was a circular port. The brain-computer interface had already entered thousands of households, just as cable TV once did on Earth.
After inserting the dedicated connector into the port, Tanner activated [Super Body]. Since it was a brand-new Super-Body Helmet, it required him to create his account first. With a flash of red light and a series of beeps, the helmet was fully unlocked.
Taking a deep breath, determination flashing across his face, Tanner put the helmet on. At first, everything was dark, then gradually it brightened. What an experience.
Tanner knew the first step: register an account. Tanner quickly registered under his old username: Immortal Warrior. Once the name was entered, the helmet automatically bound itself to his account.
A panel of basic information appeared:
[ Account Name: Immortal Warrior ]
[ Gender: Male ]
[ Age: 8 years old ]
[ Occupation: None ]
[ Introduction: The author is lazy and left nothing~ ]
[ Number of captures in previous life: 0 ]
[ Highest brain activity: 0 ]
[ Location: Federation ]
"Hello, federal citizen Tanner! I'm Sherry Yaeko, your assistant. Since this is your first time using the helmet, you can visit the forum or the past life capture area to take a look around. Call me anytime if you have questions~."
After skimming the beginner's guide, Tanner immediately entered the past life capture area. Everyone's past life memories could be made public or kept private; most chose to make them public. On one hand, outsiders didn't know their real identity; what was shown was only their past life. On the other hand, tipping was a solid source of income. Some even flaunted past lives to flirt, especially if they had once been related to a high-ranking bureaucrat.
The area was filled with video, though most clips were extremely short. The length of a past life capture was tied to the brain's activity at the moment of recording. Since brain activity fluctuated, results varied. The stronger the activity, the longer the captured scene, and the greater the chance of awakening past-life abilities.
Still, many people failed to capture anything after repeated attempts. Sometimes, a person's past lives were simply too few. On average, Federation citizens captured less than two past lives, while most only had one.
In the last 400 years, the record holder has had 12 different past lives. This number referred not to images but to entirely separate reincarnations. Within a single past life, multiple images could be captured. These details replayed in Tanner's mind as he browsed.
Upon logging into the capture area, a banner immediately popped up:
Congratulations to Aldice for winning the best A-level evaluation of the month in November. Receive an official reward of 200,000 dollars.
This week's Federation past life capture rankings are out. Tamiko Elenora takes first place, with activity exceeding 2 million, a new high in nearly a century.
Tanner clicked on Aldice's A-level evaluation link. The video had over one million likes, 150,000 comments, and nearly 400,000 shares. When Tanner saw the payout, he nearly fell out of his chair.
"Whoa, 1.8 million in rewards?! That was far more than the official prize, and for just an A-level evaluation." His heart raced wildly. He didn't dare hope for 1.8 million; 80,000 would be enough. No, even 10,000 would do.
"The rewards are paid in full. No wonder so many people choose to make their past lives public."
Aldice's past life video began. The scene was a dimly lit castle. A quiet night cloaked the halls, yet a grand party was underway.
Tanner felt goosebumps as he noticed the food. Raw meat and cups filled with blood.
The dozen guests around the table smiled with satisfaction. At the head of the table sat a princess, Aldice's former self. When she raised her glass and sipped, Tanner saw two sharp fangs flash in the candlelight.
The video lasted nearly forty seconds, a medium length, but its impact on the Federation was enormous. The top comment came from the federal government itself:
This memory depicts the ancient vampire culture of Terra, from 6,000 years ago. The first historical discovery of its kind in the Federation. It holds immense significance in filling a gap in federal history. Thank you, Aldice, for your contribution to the Commonwealth.
The government comment even had more likes than Aldice's post.
Tanner couldn't help but feel envious. He browsed through Aldice's account. She had only two past lives recorded, seven images total. This vampire memory was her first, and it had brought her fame and fortune.
"I wonder if she also inherited vampire abilities…" Switching to other captures, Tanner noticed that most lasted no more than ten seconds. Quite short.
By contrast, Tamiko Elenora, the most active citizen in a century, had achieved a staggering 2 million activity points. His past life video lasted a full twenty minutes.
"His past life turned out to be a king. As expected, the higher the activity, the more significant the identity and status of the past life."
This was a rule the people of the Federation had deduced for themselves. High activity didn't only mean longer captures; it also meant more past lives and greater historical importance. The more influential one's past life identity, the higher the activity.
Browsing further, Tanner saw the lives of countless ordinary people. Farmers, workers, wanderers, etc, he even stumbled upon a clip showing someone's past life as a pig. Though only three seconds long, that person still earned over 100,000 dollars.
Tanner could only gape in disbelief, equal parts envious and amused, "100,000 dollars for a pig's life? That's insane!"
Then his heart sank. What if he captured something similar? He didn't ask for much, just enough curious people willing to toss a few tips his way.