LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Monday rolled around, and with it came the familiar routine of work. Alex walked into the office feeling a bit more charged than usual. He'd been toying with the idea of pushing himself further with his smart mode for days now, and he had decided that today would be a good time to start. After all, how else would he know his limits unless he tested them?
The office was its usual self—Barry buried in his computer, probably working on some network issue, Denise gossiping by the water cooler, and the steady hum of keyboards clicking away. It was business as usual. Alex sat at his desk, quickly settling into his tasks. His workload wasn't particularly heavy today, but it was enough to give him a chance to slip into smart mode without drawing attention.
As he clicked through spreadsheets and reviewed client records, Alex activated the mode in his mind. Immediately, he felt the familiar sensation—the sharpening of his thoughts, the instant recall of every piece of information he'd ever absorbed. It was exhilarating, even if he'd done it dozens of times before. But today, he wanted to see how long he could stay in this state before his mental strength wore down.
Everything around him seemed to slow down, though he knew it wasn't real. His mind raced, processing numbers, correlating data, and predicting outcomes far faster than he could ever do without the system. In the back of his mind, he kept an eye on that mental progress bar, watching as it inched forward, just a fraction. He could feel the strain start to build after a few minutes, but he pushed it aside. He wanted to go further today.
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The hours passed in a blur of productivity. When lunch rolled around, Alex was tempted to keep going, but his stomach had other ideas. Reluctantly, he switched back to normal mode and headed to the break room. Denise and Barry were already there, engrossed in a conversation about the latest office drama.
"I'm telling you, Janine from HR is acting weird," Denise was saying, her eyes wide with excitement. "She's been avoiding everyone, and I heard she's been meeting with the boss behind closed doors all the time now."
Barry rolled his eyes. "Maybe she's just doing her job. HR usually does have private meetings, you know."
Denise shook her head. "No, it's something else. I bet she's in trouble or planning something."
Alex grabbed a sandwich from the fridge and sat down next to them. "Planning what? A coup?"
Denise laughed. "You never know! Stranger things have happened around here."
Barry snorted. "Yeah, like the time she 'accidentally' locked everyone out of their accounts for a day. Real mastermind there."
They continued to banter back and forth, with Alex chiming in occasionally, but his mind was elsewhere. He kept thinking about how long he had lasted in smart mode this morning. It was longer than usual, though it had left him feeling a little drained. Still, it was progress.
As the conversation shifted to more mundane topics—weekend plans, Barry's new tech gadgets, and Denise's obsession with true crime podcasts—Alex found himself relaxing. These normal moments kept him grounded, reminding him that he didn't need to rush.
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That evening, Alex met up with his college friends again. They'd started meeting regularly over the past few months, partly out of nostalgia and partly because they all missed the simple days of college life. Tonight, they were meeting at a bar downtown, one of their old haunts from back in the day.
"Man, I can't believe this place is still standing," Mark said as they walked in, shaking his head in disbelief. "We spent way too much time here in college."
Sarah laughed. "Yeah, no kidding. Remember that one time you tried to convince the bartender to make that ridiculous 'Mark Special' drink? It was like seven types of alcohol and a bunch of Red Bull."
"Hey, it wasn't that bad," Mark defended, grinning. "Just, you know, lethal."
As they settled into their booth and ordered drinks, the conversation turned to more recent events. Chris was talking about his latest freelance gig, something to do with marketing for a startup, while Sarah was venting about her boss again.
"I swear, if I have to listen to him talk about synergy one more time, I'm going to scream," she said, rolling her eyes. "How does someone get so obsessed with buzzwords?"
"Corporate life," Chris said with a smirk. "It's all about pretending like you know what you're talking about."
Alex laughed, sipping his beer. "Or just throwing around enough jargon to confuse everyone until they give up."
Mark leaned back in his seat, looking thoughtful. "So, what about you, Alex? Any exciting plans coming up? You always seem like you're thinking about something."
Alex hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "how is that ?, I have always been like this."
"Come on, man, you've got to have more going on than that," Mark pressed. "You were always the guy with the master plan."
Alex smiled, but didn't elaborate. There was no point in sharing the truth. Instead, he turned the conversation back to them. "What about you, Mark? Still working on that BBQ competition?"
Mark grinned. "Oh, you bet. I'm getting pretty close to perfecting my ribs recipe. You guys will have to come over for a cookout soon."
They continued chatting late into the night, the easy camaraderie of their college days still alive and well. But beneath the surface, Alex's mind was buzzing with possibilities. He had pushed his limits earlier, and now he knew he could go further. It was only a matter of time before he would try again.