LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 11: Chapter 11
The next few days flowed in the usual rhythm—work, idle chatter with colleagues, and the occasional random conversation about world events. Alex found comfort in the routine, even as the urge to test himself tugged at his mind. The BBQ was approaching, but he wasn't thinking much about it. What consumed his thoughts was the itch, that whisper in the back of his head, asking: How far can I go?
It was a Thursday afternoon when he finally gave in, deciding to test the limits of his smart mode. He waited until after work, making sure his evening was free from any distractions. He had been cautious ever since he got the system, only using smart mode in short bursts, but the memory of the sharp focus it provided was addictive. Now he wanted to know what would happen if he pushed it just a little bit longer, if he stretched his mental strength further than ever before.
After dinner, he sat at his desk, his laptop open in front of him. His room was dimly lit, the soft hum of his computer the only sound. He pulled up a dense textbook on quantum computing he had downloaded weeks ago—something that normally would have taken him hours, maybe even days, to fully understand.
He took a deep breath and activated the smart mode.
Instantly, his perception sharpened. The words on the page flowed into his mind, not just as information but as understanding. Concepts that had once been foreign to him now seemed as simple as basic math. He felt the system working, the memory processing function filtering through vast amounts of data, making connections faster than his normal self ever could.
For the first five minutes, everything was smooth. The rush of knowledge felt exhilarating, his mind expanding, making sense of complex theories as if he had studied them for years.
Ten minutes in, his focus remained razor-sharp, but he began to notice a dull ache creeping into his temples. He ignored it, pushing forward. This was nothing compared to what he could achieve. He had barely scratched the surface.
By the fifteen-minute mark, the ache had grown into a steady throb. Still, he kept going. His heart pounded in his chest, his breathing growing shallow. The flood of information was relentless, but he couldn't stop now. Not when he was so close to understanding the next chapter.
Twenty minutes.
A sudden wave of nausea hit him. His vision blurred at the edges, and he had to close his eyes for a moment to steady himself. The pain in his head was sharper now, like needles pricking at the back of his skull.
Okay, that's enough. He thought to himself.
But when he tried to deactivate the smart mode, his mind didn't immediately respond. Panic rose in his chest. He forced himself to focus, finally managing to shut it off.
The relief was instant. The intense clarity drained away, replaced by an overwhelming fatigue. Alex slumped back in his chair, his head pounding. He felt as if he had run a marathon. Every part of him ached, and the nausea still lingered, but there was something else—a faint sense of accomplishment.
He had pushed himself further than ever before. He had tested his limits, and while it had nearly overwhelmed him, it had also strengthened him. He could feel it, the slightest increase in his mental capacity, as if his mind had stretched and then settled back into place, but just a little bit stronger than before.
It wasn't much, but it was progress.
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The next morning, Alex still felt the aftereffects of his experiment. His head was clearer than it had been the night before, but there was a lingering tiredness he couldn't shake. As he made his way to the office, his thoughts drifted to what had happened. The experience was both exhilarating and frightening, but it had left him wondering. If I can strengthen my mind like this, what else could I do?
The temptation to push again was already creeping back in, but he reminded himself to take it slow. For now, he had to stay grounded.
At the office, things were as usual. Lisa was already at her desk, sipping from her oversized coffee mug, while Dan shuffled in a few minutes late, looking half-asleep as always.
"Rough morning?" Lisa asked, glancing over at Dan.
"Every morning is rough," he grumbled, dropping into his chair. "I swear I could sleep for a week and still wake up tired."
"Maybe you should lay off the midnight video games," Alex joked, though his own late-night escapade weighed heavily on his mind.
Dan smirked. "What can I say? Some of us live for the grind. But speaking of, you guys ready for the BBQ this weekend?"
Alex had almost forgotten about it. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Lisa rolled her eyes. "Ugh, don't remind me. I'd rather be anywhere else."
"It'll be fine," Dan said. "Just some food, awkward small talk, maybe a few embarrassing drunk moments from the higher-ups. Standard fare."
"Yeah, just what I live for," Lisa replied sarcastically.
The conversation drifted to other topics, mostly random office gossip and complaints about their workloads. As much as Alex wanted to focus, his thoughts were on something else, the additive increase in mental strength.
He wasn't ready to push himself again, not right away. But the idea lingered. What if he could strengthen his mind more? What if there were other ways to improve his mental capacity without relying on smart mode alone?
That evening, Alex found himself browsing through forums and articles about mental exercises—meditation, memory training, cognitive games. It was all basic stuff, but he wondered if these small, everyday practices could help him build up his strength in a safer, more sustainable way.
He knew he had to be careful. The last thing he wanted was to burn himself out or push too hard too soon. But the promise of progress was too tempting to ignore.