Chapter 23: Icon
Richard sat on the bench in the gym, wiping sweat off his forehead. His muscles still burned from the intense workout, but something felt different. He wasn't as exhausted as before.
He pulled up his status screen, watching the holographic interface materialize before him. His eyes flicked to the Skills tab, where his newly acquired abilities gleamed in golden letters.
His gaze locked onto [ Knowledge Acquisition ], and he tapped on it.
[ Knowledge Acquisition ]Improves your capacity to absorb and retain information from books, scrolls, and other sources.Upgrade: 2 Skill Points (Available Skill Points: 10)
Richard exhaled, staring at the floating text.
This is a no-brainer.
He tapped Upgrade without hesitation.
A sudden wave of clarity surged through his brain. It felt like someone had adjusted the focus of a blurry camera inside his mind. The world around him became sharper, crisper—every detail more vivid.
The subtle hum of an air conditioner. The faint creak of the wooden floor as he shifted his weight. The distinct smell of fresh paint still lingering from the basement office.
His brain, already enhanced by [ Information Processing ], now felt like a high-performance CPU operating at peak efficiency.
Patterns. Connections. Everything clicked instantly.