"Hey, Li, where do you live? Want to head out together?"
Li Si was just about to leave when a voice he hadn't expected called out to him.
It was Peter Parker.
That was a rare sight. In Li Si's eyes, Peter Parker was one of the class's outcasts—the sort of person you found in just about every school. They usually shared certain traits: they weren't good at making conversation, kept to themselves, or simply couldn't fit into anyone else's social circle.
Was it because I'm new here that he wanted to make a friend?
Li Si's thoughts raced, but he kept his expression neutral and gave a rueful smile.
"Sorry, Peter. I'm renting a place in Queens, but I haven't finished enrolling yet. I need to find Mr. Pierce to sign up for electives, and I'm also planning to stop by the library."
"Oh, okay!"
Peter Parker looked a little disappointed, but still said, "I live in Queens too. Since you've got things to do, go ahead. We can hang out next time!"
"Sure."
Li Si nodded goodbye to Peter Parker, then headed to Pierce's office.
He hadn't been making excuses. He really did need to sign up for electives. The required science classes only covered the basics. For more advanced knowledge in specialized fields like mechanics, energy, and networking, he'd have to take electives.
Signing up for electives went smoothly. After all, this identity and background had been built into the game system; all he had to do was fill out a form.
After leaving Pierce's office, Li Si hurried straight to the school library. A wealth of experience and knowledge awaited him there. He was ready to lose himself in his studies until he wasted away.
Midtown School of Science and Technology's library wasn't very big, and it was practically deserted.
The room was about the size of a classroom, with bookshelves lining all four walls. There were tables and chairs in the middle, but it was such a cramped space that it wasn't ideal for studying in peace. Anyone who wanted to read could just borrow a book and take it out to the schoolyard.
There was only one person in the entire library: the librarian, an old man with white hair who wore huge headphones and listened to music all day.
"How could I forget about him?"
When Li Si saw the old man, he slapped a hand to his forehead, his expression a curious mix of emotions.
He'd almost forgotten that Midtown School of Science and Technology's library had this big shot.
The father of Marvel Comics, the king of cameos—Stan Lee.
He was the founder of Marvel Comics and loved making cameo appearances. He'd played some random passerby in practically every Marvel movie.
Li Si had chosen the in-game name Lee Stein as a tribute and a joke. Now, though, the fake had run into the real deal.
But the old man was clearly immersed in his music, swaying blissfully with his giant headphones on. He hadn't noticed Li Si arrive at all.
Since the man hadn't even noticed him, Li Si sheepishly slipped the library card he'd prepared back into his pocket. After wandering around, he picked out a large stack of books and sat down. He took out a copy of Fundamentals of Mechanical Design, Third Edition and quietly began to read.
His Mechanical Knowledge hadn't been unlocked yet, and his intelligence was only a little above average, so his reading efficiency was nothing special. Still, he patiently worked his way through it, page by page.
Nearly an hour passed. He'd read almost a third of Fundamentals of Mechanical Design when the system notification he'd been waiting for finally chimed.
[Prompt: You read Fundamentals of Mechanical Design, Third Edition and gained 10 targeted experience (Mechanical Knowledge). You unlocked Knowledge: Mechanical Knowledge.]
Mechanical Knowledge LV0: (10/100)
"Finally unlocked. There are more ways to improve Biochemical Knowledge, so for now, I'll focus on Mechanical Knowledge."
Li Si smiled faintly at the notification and turned his attention back to the book. At the same time, he focused on using the general experience he'd earned earlier to increase his Mechanical Knowledge bit by bit.
It was a little trick he'd learned before his rebirth. In full-immersion virtual mode, using general experience to improve a field of knowledge triggered a brief period of heightened brain activity. The more experience he added at once, the more active his brain became, and the effect lasted about a minute.
Using that brief window after allocating points to study the corresponding subject was the most efficient approach. Both his memory and comprehension improved considerably.
The 150 experience points would keep the effect going for two and a half hours—time he couldn't afford to waste. Li Si summoned 120 percent of his concentration and immersed himself completely in the sea of knowledge.
Time seemed to lose all meaning. It had taken him an hour to read the first third of Fundamentals of Mechanical Design, but he finished the remaining two thirds in just half an hour.
Even then, Li Si showed no sign of stopping. His gaze didn't waver. Almost mechanically, he pulled out another book on mechanics and continued studying in the same position. He hadn't moved a muscle from beginning to end.
As he continued to add general experience, along with the targeted experience he gained from reading, the Mechanical Knowledge in his knowledge panel quietly rose to LV1. His reading speed improved again, making it even harder for him to pull himself away.
His brain was operating at full capacity, memorizing and analyzing everything he read. There was barely any room left for calculation, and even his senses seemed to have shut out the world around him.
The two and a half hours passed in a flash. It wasn't until he instinctively tried to add more experience and received a failure notification that Li Si's thoughts finally stuttered. The train of thought he'd been riding was interrupted, and the period of heightened brain activity had ended. At last, he began to come back to himself.
His senses returned, and all the information from the world around him flooded his brain.
Hunger, mental exhaustion, and all the other consequences of pushing his brain too hard came crashing down on him. He nearly blacked out, and only managed to stay upright thanks to sheer willpower.
"Li, are you all right?"
A slender, fair-skinned arm caught the chair just as it started to tip backward, and an alarmed voice reached Li Si's mind.
"Gwen? When did you get here?"
Li Si stared at Gwen Stacy, who was holding him up, and froze.
"I've been here for ages. I tried to get your attention, but you didn't react at all!"
Gwen Stacy gave him a helpless look and stepped closer to check on him. She pulled a few pieces of chocolate from her pocket and offered them to him. "You're suffering from poor blood flow to the brain, and you've used up too much energy without getting enough nutrients. Eat these quickly to tide yourself over."
"Uh... thanks!"
Li Si was starving, and his head was still spinning. He hurriedly took the chocolate and gobbled it down.
"Good Lord, I've never seen anyone take reading so seriously. You didn't even react when I called your name. You practically fainted from hunger."
Gwen Stacy watched Li Si wolf down the chocolate in amazement. "Li, do you have hyperthymesia? Or are all you Asians like this?"
"I wish I had that kind of genius condition, but the truth is I just missed lunch and dinner."
Li Si put on an exaggeratedly regretful expression and swallowed the last piece of chocolate in a few bites. He finally let out a breath; he was feeling much better.
He hadn't realized that getting so absorbed in his studies could have this kind of side effect. His constitution and intelligence were just too low. From now on, he'd have to keep a few high-energy snacks on hand.
Gwen Stacy covered her mouth and giggled.
"I don't think you have anything to regret. Hyperthymesia isn't a good thing. A huge amount of useless memories takes up space in your brain and interferes with your thinking. Besides, being able to forget things isn't necessarily bad..."
When the conversation turned to a topic involving biomedicine, Gwen Stacy spoke at length, listing a whole host of drawbacks and showing off the depth of knowledge she'd built up as a top student.
"Oh no, Gwen. I don't want to think or remember anything right now!"
Li Si looked pained and pressed a hand to his forehead. "Can we change the subject?"
"All right. I think I understand how you feel. So, Mr. Lee Stein, what would you like to talk about instead? Maybe mechanics, since you're more familiar with that?" Gwen said with a smile.
"No, I don't want to think about anything right now. The only thing I want to do is invite the beautiful lady in front of me to dinner... Honestly, I feel like I could eat a whole cow!" Li Si said dramatically.
"I'm afraid not, Li."
Gwen Stacy looked regretful as she said, "My parents insist that I come home for dinner on time every day."
"Fair enough. I guess I'll have to ask you to lunch next time."
Although she'd turned him down, Li Si didn't press her.
He'd only asked on the spur of the moment. If she accepted, great; if not, he wasn't going to waste his energy on it. The Spider-Man storyline was still a long way off, and he'd have plenty of chances later.
"See you tomorrow, Gwen. I need to refuel."
"See you tomorrow, Li!"
Before you continue