[Opening Newbie Gift Pack…]
A soft light flickered into existence.
It didn't explode.
Didn't blind me.
It simply… appeared.
Warm.
Steady.
Almost gentle.
For a moment, I just stared at it, unsure whether to feel relieved or suspicious.
Because nothing about this "system" so far had been gentle.
And yet—
Before I could think further—
Something changed.
A pressure.
Sudden.
Heavy.
"Ah—!"
My body stiffened as my hands flew to my temples.
But this pain…
It wasn't sharp.
Not like the earlier one that felt like my skull was being split open.
No—
This was different.
Thicker.
Denser.
Like something was being poured into my brain.
Not randomly.
Not chaotically.
But with precision.
Layer by layer.
Piece by piece.
Structured.
Arranged.
Stored.
My breathing turned uneven.
What… is happening?
Images flickered.
Not pictures.
Not memories.
Concepts.
Connections.
Information threading itself into place like it had always belonged there.
It wasn't overwhelming.
That was the strange part.
It should have been overwhelming.
But it wasn't.
It fit.
Perfectly.
As if my mind had been… waiting for it.
Then—
It stopped.
Abruptly.
Like someone flipped a switch.
The pressure vanished.
The silence that followed felt louder than the pain.
[Congratulations][Skill Acquired: Photographic Memory (Basic)][Skill Acquired: Practical Application (Level 1)]
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Trying to ground myself.
"…Photographic memory?"
The words felt strange on my tongue.
Too big.
Too unreal.
Slowly, I turned my head toward the table.
Toward the book that had been my enemy for weeks.
My accounting book.
Just looking at it used to make my head hurt.
Now—
I wasn't sure what I felt.
Curiosity?
Maybe.
Caution?
Definitely.
I reached out and picked it up, my fingers tightening slightly around the edge.
"Alright…"
My voice came out quieter than expected.
Controlled.
"Let's test this."
I flipped to a random page.
Didn't overthink it.
Didn't prepare.
Just read.
Line by line.
Once.
No repetition.
No effort to "memorize."
Then I closed the book.
And—
Everything changed.
The page didn't fade.
Didn't blur.
It stayed.
Perfectly intact.
Suspended in my mind like it had been carved there.
Every word sat exactly where it should be.
Every sentence aligned with unnatural clarity.
Even the spacing.
Even the slight ink smudge near the margin.
My breath hitched.
"No way…"
I opened the book again, flipping back to the same page.
My eyes scanned it rapidly.
Comparing.
Matching.
Verifying.
Line after line.
Word after word.
Then—
I froze.
"…Perfect."
Not similar.
Not close.
Exact.
A slow exhale escaped me, but my heart was already racing.
"This is… insane."
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to steady myself.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't human.
This wasn't something you just get.
Abilities like this—
They break things.
Balance.
Limits.
Reality.
Before that thought could fully settle—
Another notification appeared.
[Practical Application (Level 1): Allows the host to efficiently apply learned knowledge in real situations.]
"…Apply?"
I frowned.
That description felt… incomplete.
Vague.
Almost like it was hiding something.
"Efficiently apply…"
I repeated the words under my breath, trying to make sense of them.
Apply how?
Faster thinking?
Better understanding?
Or something else entirely?
The system wasn't explaining.
It never really did.
It just… gave.
And expected me to figure out the rest.
"Fine…"
I muttered, exhaling slowly.
"Let's see it in action."
My gaze dropped back to the book.
To a problem on the page.
One I recognized.
A frustrating one.
The kind that used to trap me halfway through.
Where I'd start confident—
Then get stuck.
Then doubt everything.
Then give up.
I stared at it for a few seconds.
Waiting.
Nothing happened.
"…Seriously?"
I sighed.
Of course it wouldn't activate automatically like some cheat code.
I picked up my pen.
"Alright. One step at a time."
I read the question again.
Carefully.
Then—
It happened.
Not dramatically.
Not explosively.
Just—
A shift.
Something aligned inside my head.
The information I had just "memorized" didn't just sit there.
It moved.
Connected.
Transformed.
Each step of the solution appeared naturally, as if I had practiced it a hundred times.
There was no confusion.
No hesitation.
No second-guessing.
Just clarity.
My hand started moving.
Writing.
Solving.
Without pause.
Debit.
Credit.
Adjustment.
Final figure.
Each line flowed into the next seamlessly.
It felt… smooth.
Too smooth.
Like I wasn't thinking—
I was executing.
Within seconds—
I was done.
The pen stopped.
The silence returned.
I stared at what I had written.
Then checked it again.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
"…Correct."
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
Not relief.
Not pride.
Something deeper.
A realization.
"So it's not just memory…"
I leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing.
"It's understanding."
Not learned.
Not developed over time.
Granted.
Instantly.
[Correct.]
I let out a short, quiet laugh.
"Of course it is."
Because why would it stop at memory?
Why would something this… unnatural… follow normal limits?
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.
The fan above spun lazily, completely indifferent to the fact that my entire reality had just shifted.
"…This changes everything."
And it did.
In a way that felt almost dangerous.
Because this wasn't just about studying.
Or passing exams.
This—
This was control.
Control over information.
Over learning.
Over growth.
And if that could be given so easily—
What else could the system give?
What else was hidden behind those calm, emotionless notifications?
I frowned slightly.
That thought…
It didn't sit right.
Because there was something else.
Something subtle.
Something I almost missed.
When the knowledge entered my mind—
It didn't feel foreign.
It didn't feel new.
It felt…
Familiar.
Like it had always been there.
Just… unlocked.
"…What are you?"
I muttered under my breath.
The room, of course, didn't answer.
The system never "spoke" unless it wanted to.
And even then—
It only said what was necessary.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
I looked back at the book.
At the pages that once felt like walls.
Now—
They looked like steps.
Simple.
Manageable.
Conquerable.
For the first time in months—
There was no weight pressing down on me.
No tightness in my chest.
No quiet voice whispering that I'd fail.
Just—
Excitement.
Raw.
Sharp.
Alive.
"…CA Foundation, huh?"
The exam that once felt out of reach.
Now—
It felt like a starting point.
Not an obstacle.
A beginning.
I picked up my pen again.
But this time—
There was no hesitation.
No doubt.
Just focus.
"Let's push it further."
I flipped to another page.
Then another.
Faster this time.
Reading.
Absorbing.
Testing.
Each time—
The same result.
Perfect recall.
Flawless application.
Time blurred.
Minutes passed.
Or maybe longer.
I didn't notice.
Didn't care.
Because for the first time—
I wasn't struggling to keep up.
I was ahead.
And it felt—
Addictive.
Dangerously so.
More.
I wanted more.
More speed.
More clarity.
More power.
The thought came naturally.
Too naturally.
I paused.
My pen hovering above the page.
My breathing slowed.
That feeling again.
That subtle unease.
"…This isn't just a gift."
I whispered.
It couldn't be.
Nothing this powerful comes without a cost.
Nothing.
The system had appeared out of nowhere.
Changed everything overnight.
And now—
It was making me better.
Faster.
Sharper.
Like it was shaping me into something.
But for what?
I stared at the faint blue interface lingering at the edge of my vision.
Waiting.
Silent.
Watching.
"…What do you want from me?"
No response.
Of course.
But this time—
I didn't look away.
Because for the first time since it appeared—
I wasn't just grateful.
I was curious.
And a little…
Suspicious.
The room felt quieter.
Heavier.
As if something unseen was listening.
Observing.
Measuring.
Then—
A new notification flickered.
Different from before.
Not celebratory.
Not informative.
Just…
Cold.
[Condition Met.][Hidden Parameter Unlocked.][Evaluation Phase Will Begin Soon.]
My heart skipped.
"…Evaluation?"
The word echoed in my mind.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Unsettling.
I straightened in my chair, eyes locked onto the screen.
"What evaluation?"
No answer.
But the silence felt… intentional.
Like a countdown had already started.
I clenched my fist slightly.
So this was it.
Not just growth.
Not just benefits.
A test.
Of what?
My ability?
My limits?
Or something else entirely?
A slow smile formed on my face.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
Something sharper.
"…So there's a next step."
Good.
Because if the system thought I'd just sit here and accept whatever it threw at me—
It was wrong.
I leaned forward, picking up my pen again.
But this time—
There was something new in my eyes.
Determination.
And a hint of challenge.
"Then I'll be ready."
The page turned.
The pen moved.
And somewhere—
Unseen—
Something was watching.
Author's Note:
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