Experimenting with System Skills

After class, Class D's classroom fell into a brief silence. Most of the students were still arguing endlessly over class points and assessment rules, while Kengo Tendo lay sprawled across his desk, idly spinning a pen.

The arguments around him were like monotonous background noise. They neither interested him nor required him to step in and take charge anymore—after exposing the core of the assessment, the class had already broken free from chaos. And with one million points in hand, he had enough for the time being to handle any emergencies. For once, he truly had nothing to do.

"Right..." Kengo suddenly stopped spinning his pen as a vague thought flashed through his mind. He vaguely remembered that when he had reincarnated into this world, he seemed to have been bound to something. Its presence had been ridiculously faint, however, and after the succession of rule games following enrollment, along with the chairman summoning him, he had completely forgotten about it.

Was it called a "system"?

The moment the thought surfaced, a pale-blue translucent screen floated before his eyes without warning. Its gentle glow went unnoticed by everyone else, perfectly matching its trait of having a "low presence." The contents were extremely simple, with only a few lines of text and no unnecessary icons or explanations:

Host: Kengo Tendo

Traits: Flash of Insight, Successful Learning, Unlimited Potential

There was nothing else.

Kengo raised an eyebrow and lightly swiped his fingertips through the screen. It felt cool, but offered no tangible feedback. The three traits were so straightforward that they needed no interpretation; they were clearly all tied to learning ability. He recalled receiving a C in academic ability upon enrollment. That was probably because he had always been halfhearted about studying and had never truly applied himself. Since he was bored out of his mind now, he might as well test what this system could do—the library seemed like a good place to start, and he could catch up on the basic subjects he had fallen behind in.

After packing his bag, Kengo ignored the scattered glances cast his way and headed straight out of the academic building.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through gaps between the leaves, scattering mottled patches of light across the path. The library's white building stood quietly amid the shade of the trees, carrying an isolated tranquility.

Entering the study area on the library's third floor, Kengo chose a corner seat by the window. It was far from the entrance, offered an open view, and overlooked the lawn below. The surroundings were especially quiet.

He took out basic textbooks on mathematics, physics, English, and other subjects from his bag. The instant he opened the first chapter of the math textbook, a strange sensation struck him.

Formulas and theorems that had once been obscure and difficult suddenly became clear and easy to understand, as though invisible threads were linking all the knowledge points together. The example problems that had once given him headaches automatically unfolded in his mind, their solution methods distinct and their logic rigorous. Even the supplementary material in the textbook could be effortlessly integrated with what he already knew.

This was far more than a simple increase in comprehension. It was as if the knowledge in the books had come alive and was scrambling to burrow into his brain, carrying an irresistible force that nevertheless made his entire body feel refreshed—this sensation of knowledge forcefully soaking into his mind was damn exhilarating. He instantly immersed himself in it, completely forgetting the passage of time.

Kengo flipped through the pages one after another, his pen racing across the scratch paper as he worked through calculations. Whenever he encountered a difficult point, a crucial spark of inspiration would suddenly flash through his mind (the Flash of Insight trait activated), and the problem would be resolved with ease. After studying for several hours straight, not only did he feel no fatigue whatsoever, but he became increasingly addicted to learning, his grasp of the material growing ever firmer (the Successful Learning trait activated). He could even draw inferences from one example to another and derive solution methods beyond those in the textbook (the Unlimited Potential trait activated).

Who knew how much time had passed? The sky outside gradually darkened, and the library lights came on, softly illuminating the desk. Kengo closed the last chemistry textbook and absentmindedly stretched. His right arm swung backward with the momentum, about to loosen his stiff muscles—

"Mm!"

A soft cry came from beside him, carrying a hint of unexpected pain.

Kengo snapped back to his senses and turned his head, only to discover that a white-haired girl had somehow appeared beside him. She wore a neat school uniform, her long white hair falling smoothly over her shoulders, the ends carrying a faint sheen. She was clutching the arm he had struck, her brows slightly furrowed as clear eyes filled with a trace of grievance and confusion looked at him.

Clearly, that blow had landed squarely on her.

Kengo immediately pulled his hand back and leaned forward slightly, his tone sincere without the slightest hint of perfunctoriness. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I got too absorbed in studying and didn't notice you were beside me." His gaze fell on the arm he had hit, his apology obvious—he had used quite a bit of force just then, so it must have hurt.

"It's okay." The white-haired girl gently shook her head. Her voice was soft and sweet, like a spring breeze. The furrow in her brows gradually smoothed out, and the grievance in her eyes faded considerably.

Seeing her gentle manner, Kengo felt even more guilty and blurted out, "I'm Kengo Tendo. To apologize, how about I treat you to dinner? Consider it compensation."

The moment he finished speaking, his stomach gave an extremely timely growl, the sound especially clear in the quiet surroundings.

Kengo froze for a moment, then scratched his head. A sly smile appeared on his face as his tone turned playful. "Well, actually, I'm the one who's hungry. I was trying to use apologizing as an excuse to score myself a free meal."

"Pfft."

His blunt and goofy words amused the girl. Her lips curled into a faint smile, like melting ice and snow, instantly brightening her entire face with a breathtaking charm. She lightly waved a hand and said, "I'm Hiyori Yuina. Let's go together. I haven't eaten either."

Kengo's smile widened, and he readily replied, "All right! Shall we go now? I heard the school cafeteria's food is pretty good, but if there's somewhere you want to eat, you can tell me."

Hiyori Yuina nodded, gathered the books from the desk, and placed them in her backpack with gentle yet efficient movements. "Anything is fine. I'm not a picky eater."

The two left the study area one after the other. The library's tranquility was shut away behind them as the door softly closed, while ahead, gentle lights illuminated the corridor and the two figures walking side by side. The atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious.