Chapter 60: Lack of Workers
Zack's mind raced. Could it be a side effect of her mutation? "Annie, I want you to concentrate on the TV. Really focus on it," he instructed.
"Okay," she said, tilting her head curiously but obeying. As she did, her perception shifted again. To her, the TV's smooth playback turned into a series of frozen frames, like a slideshow.
"It's not stuck..." Annie murmured, realization dawning on her face. "I'm the one who's faster!" She looked at Zack, her excitement replaced by nervousness. "Brother, what's happening to me? Am I turning into a monster?"
Zack knelt in front of her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You're not a monster, Annie. You've just developed superpowers, like Erza."
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
Seeing Annie still didn't believe him, Zack grabbed the water glass from the table and suddenly threw it at her! Annie's room TV had a refresh rate of 120Hz. That meant in one second, 120 frames flashed by. Annie often complained that watching TV at 120Hz felt "laggy." What did that mean? She had extraordinary dynamic vision and reaction speed!
"What are you doing?!" Sophia screamed, terrified, as she saw Zack hurl the water glass straight at Annie.
But then... The panic in Sophia's expression, the motion of Zack's throw, and even the path of the water glass in the air— In Annie's eyes, everything slowed down like a scene in a movie played in slow motion. She could see every detail. The water glass spun slowly, a drop of water sliding down its rim. "So slow..." Annie sighed inwardly.
She raised her hand to catch it, confident in her timing. But then—Her heart sank. Her reaction was there, but her body wasn't cooperating. It was like she, too, was moving in slow motion. Her small hand rose painfully slowly, nowhere near the trajectory of the glass. "Oh no..." Annie thought, bracing for impact.