Morning sunlight streamed through Jeremy's window, casting a soft glow across his room. He stretched, feeling the stiffness from yesterday's training begin to fade. Today felt different; he was eager to continue his progress and see what his father had planned.
After a quick breakfast, Jeremy and Andrew joined their father in the field behind their house. The grass was still damp with dew, and a gentle breeze rustled the trees nearby. Their father stood waiting, his presence calm yet commanding.
"Ready to continue?" his father asked, a hint of a smile on his face.
"Yes, Dad," Jeremy replied, determination in his voice.
"Good. We'll be continuing training to unlock Memorization," his father announced. "You made good progress yesterday, so let’s keep it up."
Jeremy nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. He had already unlocked Running, and he hoped that Memorization would come just as quickly.
His father once again moved, a series of subtle shifts—a slide of his foot, a jab with his elbow, a twitch of his head. Each motion seemed to have no purpose, without a rhythm to follow. Yet each move had a purpose. He watched closely, absorbing every detail: the angle of his father's arms, the placement of his feet, the subtle shifts in balance.
"Memorization isn’t just about remembering these movements; it’s about understanding them deeply," his father explained. "You need to know so well that you don’t even need to think about it."
Jeremy closed his eyes for a moment, visualizing the sequence in his mind. Just like yesterday, he began to replicate the actions, moving slowly and deliberately. This time however, he found it much easier to follow the movements. Left elbow up, twitch five times, while standing on my right foot. Spin around then jump and clap with my feet. Wait—clap, then jump. He pieced it together, slowly but surely.
"Focus on each motion," his father instructed. "Break it down into tiny pieces until you can perform it without thinking."
Jeremy took a deep breath and slowed his movements even further, mentally noting the exact positions and transitions. He felt his mind working overtime, dissecting each motion. His father's movements were fluid, and Jeremy wanted to capture all the nuances.
They repeated the sequence multiple times, each time getting to the end quicker. His movements were becoming more confident with each attempt, with his father providing feedback at every step.
The sun was about to set when his father clapped. "Great job," his father said. "You’re finishing the sequence with only minor mistakes. Now, I want you to start practicing the sequence again, but this time I won’t be performing them for you. Try to remember what you’ve learned."
Jeremy closed his eyes once more, allowing his mind to recall the sequence. He moved through the motions smoothly, his body responding almost instinctively. The actions felt familiar, and though he certainly did not perform it exactly as his father had done, he could picture clearly in his mind exactly how each movement should look and feel.
Unlocked Skill: Memorization
Memorization - Basic
Level -/10 - 100 essence
Recall information and experiences with exceptional clarity.
The fleeting dance of time is preserved in the eternal gallery of thought.
Mind -
"Impressive," his father praised after he showed him the notification, ecstatic. "You’ve learned much faster than I expected."
Jeremy decided to test his new Skill. He closed his eyes and focused on a memory from weeks ago—playing by the river with Andrew and Alicia. He could see the water shimmering, hear Alicia's laughter as she skipped stones, feel the cool breeze against his skin, and smell the wet grass. The memory was incredibly vivid, almost as if he were there reliving it.
"It's amazing," he whispered to himself. "I can remember everything so clearly."
He spent a few moments reminiscing, the warmth of the memory bringing a bittersweet smile to his face. Alicia's absence weighed heavily on him, but being able to recall those moments with such clarity comforted him.
“It’s getting dark out. Head back to the house,” his father said. “I’ll wait here for Andrew to get back from town.”
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That evening, Jeremy felt a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction, knowing that he had taken a great step forward in his training with the day’s events. However, he could not help but notice the quiet tension between himself and Andrew. His responses were short, distant whenever Jeremy tried to share his excitement.
"Hey, Andrew! You're getting the hang of it!" Jeremy called out, hoping to encourage him.
Andrew gave a small nod but didn't say anything, focusing instead on getting ready for Introspection training. Jeremy felt a moment of concern but decided to focus on his own training.
Cross-legged on his bed, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He began going back over the day’s events and marveled at how quickly the memories came. Right, it seems like Memorization also comes in handy here.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He focused, thinking about his actions throughout the day, and the purpose behind them. It was now trivial for him to remember the details, barely requiring any effort. Is this why Andrew is acting weird? I didn’t choose to be better than him, it just happened. He’ll feel better once he gets more of his own Skills I’m sure. So I shouldn’t be so concerned by his own problems.
Nodding to himself at this realization, his eyes snapped open in shock as he saw a notification.
Unlocked Skill: Introspection
Introspection - Basic
Level -/10 - 100 essence
Examine one's own thoughts and feelings with clarity and detachment.
Through the mirror, one can observe the vastness that is oneself.
Soul -
"Dad! I just unlocked Introspection!", he exclaimed, his voice in disbelief.
His father had a look of astonishment mixed with pride on his face. "Jeremy, I need to see that."
Jeremy Hoppins
Skills:
Running - Basic
Memorization - Basic
Introspection - Basic
His father took a deep breath. "Normally, unlocking Introspection takes months—all soul-related Skills do. Unlocking this so quickly is... unprecedented."
Jeremy felt a mix of excitement and unease. "Is it because of the two Amulets of Insight?" he asked, remembering their father's gifts meant to enhance their abilities.
His father nodded slowly, unsure. "Yes, it's possible. When I gave you both amulets, I didn't anticipate how they would interact. Perhaps instead of simply adding their effect, they are amplifying it?"
Jeremy's mind raced. He knew that the amulets were helping him, but it seemed that it had been the main reason for all his achievements so far. "So, the amulets are making me stronger faster than expected?"
"Exactly," his father replied. "While I did say that I wanted both of you to unlock Skills for body, mind, and soul, I hoped to encourage you boys to work as hard as possible. Unlocking three Skills in two days is… it’s just ridiculous," his father shook his head.
He shook his head in disbelief, “For now, rest for the night. We don’t know what effects unlocking so many Skills so quickly might have. Once you’re in the academy, they have specialists that could check, but for now, let’s try to be more cautious. In fact, instead of training during our last day tomorrow, just rest. Play around town while I help Andrew with Memorization,” his father looked at Andrew, who was determined to ignore the conversation in the room. “You’re getting close to unlocking Running, I’ve been watching your progress. Seems like you’ll get it by tomorrow.”
“How could you tell?” Andrew mumbled. “You were busy with Jeremy all day.”
“Of course I was watching you as well,” his father smiled, sitting on Andrew’s bed. “I’d be an awful father, and quite a terrible commander, if I couldn’t notice what was happening to you while you were on this planet. Now, focus on your training. We still have some time left before you boys need to sleep.”
Andrew nodded, determination returning to his eyes.
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The next morning, Jeremy joined his father and Andrew for breakfast. The aroma of eggs and toast slowly becoming routine to him.
"Good morning," their father greeted them warmly.
"Morning," they replied in unison.
Their father looked at Jeremy with pride. "You've made a lot of progress this week, unlocking three Skills. I'm very proud of you."
Jeremy glanced at Andrew, who was quietly eating his meal. Their father continued, "You've far exceeded my expectations for the week's training. Like I said last night, I want you to take a break from training. Just go to the town and have fun.”
Jeremy felt a wave of relief, finally getting a break from the days of intense training. "Sure dad, I’ll probably spend time playing with the dogs in the park."
"Good," his father replied with a smile. “Be back in time for dinner."
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As Jeremy walked along Eldoria’s cobblestone streets, he took in the familiar sights, feeling an odd nostalgia. He noticed the friendly faces smiling and nodding as he passed by, and he wondered if Memorization was deepening his memories, making them feel closer, like it had been far longer since he’d last seen them, when in fact it had just been yesterday when he and Andrew were running down these very same streets.
Passing by the bakery, he grabbed a fresh batch of pastries that always seemed to be ready waiting for him, and he waved to Mrs. Langley at the bookstore, reminiscing the fond memories he had with Alicia playing with coloring books inside the store. Growing up in such a tightly-knit town made Jeremy feel truly at home, surrounded by people who always seemed genuinely invested in his well-being.
Walking down the main street, Jeremy admired the beauty of the town, perfectly clean and organized, but neither bland nor sterile. Every store was meticulously maintained, with pristine windows without a hint of dust, and with just the right amount of aging to the buildings, not too old, but not looking newly built. Everyone he saw throughout was cheerful, grabbing a bite to eat, strolling with their kids, or even just lounging around the benches scattered throughout town, no matter what they were doing, everyone seemed to be content, harmonious.
Jeremy decided to visit the park at the center of town, a small square filled with grass and with towering trees that provided shade, and with a fountain that stood as the centerpiece. Jeremy had always stopped to admire its beautiful, intricate design, with the entire fountain seeming carved from a single piece of granite. Stalls lined the winding paths throughout the park, selling everything from fresh fruit to handmade crafts. Dogs darted through the crowd as they chased each other, bumping and jostling people that were trying to buy from the stalls, and giving the park a sense of chaos that was unique to this part of town.
As Jeremy wandered around, he felt the freedom that he hadn't experienced in days. Every day since his Status awakening had almost felt like a blur, had it not been for Memorization. Now, he finally had time to catch up and enjoy himself.
He was deciding between muffins or cake for lunch when he noticed a commotion. A young woman, distressed, was struggling to keep her fruits from spilling as dogs jostled her stall. A small crowd had gathered, some trying to shoo the dogs, others helping pick up fruit.
Jeremy moved, wanting to help her. As a particularly tall pile of apples wobbled, some apples from the top started falling towards him. He reached out, trying to catch them in mid-air. He saw how they were falling, and how best to move his hands and arms to catch them all. Slowly, more apples were being caught by him than were hitting the ground. One apple neared his foot, and he kicked it back to the pile.
Unlocked Skill: Reflexes
Reflexes - Basic
Level -/10 - 100 essence
Enhances reaction speed and physical coordination, allowing for swift and precise movements.
Lightning’s grace captured in every motion.
Body -
He froze as the notification appeared, letting the rest of the apples fall on him. What? Reflexes too?