Multitasking. Or perhaps, if I’m lucky, even actually splitting my mind into more minds. There are some issues with both of these, but hopefully I’ll be able to achieve at least a rudimentary version of this.

The main problem with multitasking, or parallel processing, is that the human mind cannot naturally do it. At most, what most people consider multitasking is in truth flipping very fast between two tasks. There’s no way to know how my enhanced mind affects this. Would the this be enough for the System to recognize the skill though?

Then, there is the problem with splitting minds. Which boils down that it isn’t possible to do that on command, at least for people that don’t already have multiple. It’s usually a result of trauma and also results in multiple personalities, which I really don’t want to deal with right now. Maybe later.

Right-o, so what should I actually do to achieve this? The classic of rubbing my belly while patting my head could work.

And so, I stop, ready my hands and get right to it. It takes me a while, but after a minute I’m standing int the minute of a strange forest, butt naked, acting like a monkey. My dignity will never recover from this.

Especially since I received not even the hint of a prompt asking me to accept a skill.

Very well System, challenge accepted. I obviously have to succeed in a more complex task to be able to qualify for this skill.

Or actually, would this even be a skill? There is the mind stat after all. What if having more minds is a part of that? Ah, but I can still try. It won’t be that much of a waste of time.

But I need to come up with a more sophisticated activity to do this. Or rather, activities. Let’s not stand around while I ponder over this issue. With a brisk walk I head deeper into the forest, this time only focused on coming up with an idea and not on my walking technique. Yet despite that I am walking a bit quieter.

So, how do I get more brainpower out of this noggin of mine? The name itself is a huge clue by itself. Multi and task. More than one task. Or parallel and processing. Thinking multiple things through at once, without those things being related. I think I have to come to peace that I won’t be achieving more minds just yet. This is already looking like a much bigger task than I expected.

Perhaps one task could simply be walking. Then I can add some stuff onto that. Like walking silently.

Doing as a suggest, I am technically already processing three things at once. Walking, walking silently and thinking about more things to do.

Next up, observing my environment. I’ve been pretty reliant on my assumption that there isn’t any dangerous wildlife remaining. That doesn’t exclude more eldritch horrors though, or even carnivorous plants.

I start to pay more attention to where I’m walking. There are the aforementioned strange trees, but it is only now that I’m noticing the underbrush. Specifically, the fallen leaves. While on the trees they look like standard leaves you could find on a tree from Earth, the ones decomposing on the ground have a deep red colouration. Almost bloodred.

Ignoring that, what should I add to my roster of activities. Weirdly enough, I still haven’t received the notification. Perhaps I should add the thing I’m going through all this trouble for. Imagining, or visualizing, scenes in my head.

Which is starting to get really troublesome by now. Looking around while still retaining my silent walk is already hard enough without adding another distraction onto it. But after a while I manage to construct a stereotypical wizard tower with some kind of moving apparatus at the top of it.

Shit, still nothing. Okay, what should I add…

You have learned the skill: Parallel processing!

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Accept?

Oh, thanks god! Or rather, thank you System! I can finally stop.

And as I do, the building headache quickly subsides.

Good, so parallel processing, huh? Is that better or worse than multitasking? I think it’s better and I’m not biased at all. I only think that my hard work should be rewarded accordingly. Either way, this was already straining my abilities, so no attempt at a better skill this time. Welcome to the team, parallel processing!

As I accept the skill, I feel a weird tingly feeling in the back of my mind. It sort of tell me that I can do more. Which I don’t hesitate to do and immediately offload the mental load of remaining observant. AH, that’s much better.

Now then, let me just see how my skills are doing and I’ll finally be able to enjoy some good ‘television’.

Level Up!

Silent step – level 20 -> 21

Fortified mind – level 21 -> 23

General knowledge – level 10 -> 12

Visualize – level 2 -> 9

Parallel processing – level 0 -> 3

Damn, after level twenty it really slows down. Also, visualize is just breezing through the early levels. Not to mention my newest skill, which I’ve been using for not even a minute and its already level three. Then again, it’s taking care of quite the intensive task. Hmm, now I’m tempted to see how this fills out my status page. Ah, what the hell, why not?

Name: Ra

Age: 0

Level: 0

Body: peak mortal

Mind: superhuman

Soul: {in flux}

Traits:

Void brushed

Cognito-hazard resistance

Skills:

Silent step – level 21

Fortified mind – level 23

Languages – level 1

General knowledge – level 12

Visualize – level 9

Parallel processing – level 3

…

Hell yeah! It’s all coming together. What did I want to do now? Ah, right. I can finally get properly entertained.

As such, I sink into my mind while still being fully aware of my surroundings. Skills are truly wonderful. I create a scene in my mind and sit back to enjoy the show.

At first my mind is still strained, but soon enough it gets easier. The parallel processing skill must have levelled and made it easier. It sure must be getting a workout.

And so, a couple hours pass. Before I know it, it’s already getting dark and I still haven’t found anything to eat, drink or sleep in. Perhaps I could risk continuing through the night, perhaps I’ll even get a sleep resistance skill out of it. Or would that be a trait? Either way, I’m in no mood for further trekking and even with the help of my newest skill, my mind is slowly becoming strained.

Seeing no other option, I resign myself to just sleeping on the forest floor on an empty stomach.

Grabbing a handful of the fallen crimson leaves, I create a small mound of them against the nearest tree. I continue with this until the bottom of the tree is mostly covered by a small hill of leaves. Why, you may ask? it is, of course, so that I can have something to lean against while not having to touch more of that slimy gooey mucus. And also, as a makeshift blanket. Who knows how cold the nights get here.

And then, when everything’s done, I’m left with no more activities that I can procrastinate with and lie down to sleep. Which doesn’t come easily.

Not only am I distracted by my thoughts, for which I have an expanded capacity now, but then there’s also the whole being in an unfamiliar place without protection thing.

Eventually, my thought drift back to the System and my skills. It’s just now occurring to me that the vast majority of them have a focus on mind. Actually, only silent step has anything to do with the body. And I don’t have anything related to my soul.

Am I becoming unbalanced? And more importantly, is that even an issue? Sure, there are the stories where too high of a strength stat makes you crush your own body under their force. Which I think is bullshit, by the way. But is something harmful like that even possible by leaning too far into the mind aspect of things?

I find it hard to come up with anything, to be perfectly honest? Like, boo-hoo, I’m too smart. What I am only to do with myself? If you couldn’t tell, that was sarcasm.

I’m sure it’s going to be fine even if there does exist something like that. I still haven’t encountered a problem that the right System skill couldn’t fix.

Though another issue I’ve noticed with my skills is that their levelling is really starting to slow down. They can easily reach the twenties, but after that seems to be a drop off point. It looks more and more like I’ll have to do some dedicated skill sessions to raise even just a single skill a little bit later on. Which I’m really not looking forward to.

But then again, surely this isn’t all there is to the System, right? It can’t be only skills and traits. I’m definitely missing something, but without consulting someone better versed in the matter of the System, or even better the System itself, I won’t have any idea until it reveals itself to me. Which feels like just begging for something bad to happen.

Not like I have much recourse though. It’d not like I have some magic ability to magically pull information from somewhere and feed it to me. Such is the life of the unfortunate transmigrator.

And it is with these thoughts that I finally manage to fall asleep.