His eyes followed along a line of dense, academic text as he murmured the words aloud. "The territorial range of a mature mosshide bear is directly proportional to the ambient spiritual energy of its chosen denning site." He leaned back in the rickety chair, which creaked ominously underneath him.

  Kill me, this reads like a technical manual for a lawnmower.

  He'd been at this for what felt like hours, methodically working through the first volume of Ecological Dynamics of the Virethane. Each page was a slog through scientific terminology and complicated concepts that demanded careful attention. His eyes burned from the strain of reading in the dim illumination coming from the single, subpar rune light in the ceiling.

  At this rate, I'll need six months to get through this pile.

  Caleb rubbed his temples, feeling the ache of mental fatigue. The book contained valuable information: detailed behavioral patterns of spirit beasts, optimal harvesting seasons for various herbs, and the interconnected relationships between ecosystem elements. But his reading speed was the bottleneck. Even with [Savant of the Mind] enhancing his comprehension and [Perfect Memory] ensuring retention, the physical act of reading itself still limited him.

  He stared at the stack of remaining volumes, a tower of knowledge Selara expected him to master. She hadn't given him a deadline, but the unspoken expectation was clear: prove his worth, and quickly. At his current pace, he would be lucky to finish the second book by week’s end. The inefficiency was galling.

  And then it hit him—a quiet, almost embarrassing revelation that made him want to slap his forehead. Seriously, Caleb? He didn't understand how he could have missed something so obvious: reading was also a physical skill.

  His enhanced mental faculties seized on the connection immediately. [Savant of the Mind] managed comprehension and analysis. [Perfect Memory] ensured retention. But the actual mechanics of reading—the eye movements and handling of visual information—those were managed by physical processes. And physical processes fell under the domain of [Savant of the Body].

  The realization triggered a flashback instantly, pulling forth a crystal-clear recollection from his Earth life. He was in his home office on a rainy Saturday afternoon, laptop open, watching a YouTube video titled "Speed Reading Techniques That Actually Work." The instructor, an energetic woman with bright red glasses, demonstrated various methods with enthusiasm.

  “The biggest mistake people make is reading with their ears instead of their eyes!” her voice repeated in his mind. “You don’t need to say the words in your head. Use your finger as a pacer to force your eyes to move faster than your inner voice can keep up. Don’t read words, read blocks. Your brain is a supercomputer; let it do the work!”

  The memory was so vivid he could see the demonstration clearly—her finger moving in practiced swoops across the page, her eyes tracking in fluid arcs rather than the jerky stop-and-start motion of typical reading.

  Caleb looked down at the open book, then at his right index finger. I never could kick the subvocalizing habit before. Maybe this time will be different?

  He placed his index finger at the beginning of the next paragraph and moved it steadily across the line. His body responded immediately, analyzing the motion, optimizing the speed and rhythm. Instead of reading individual words, he focused on absorbing the meaning of entire phrases at once.

  The effect was remarkable. Information flowed into his mind in smooth waves, each phrase building seamlessly on the last. His eyes stopped their constant darting and settled into an efficient surveying pattern. The voice in his head that normally narrated each word fell silent, replaced by pure comprehension.

  "Mosshide bears exhibit pronounced territorial behavior during mating season, with dominant males establishing ranges of up to fifteen square kilometers in high-essence environments. Their symbiotic moss coating serves both as camouflage and as a spiritual energy absorption mechanism, allowing them to sustain higher metabolic rates than comparable non-magical ursines."

  He'd absorbed the entire paragraph in seconds rather than half a minute. The information was flawlessly clear in his mind. His finger continued its steady progression across the page, each line revealing new layers of knowledge, and he could feel his understanding of the subject grow.

  The rhythm became hypnotic. Page after page flowed past, each one deepening his comprehension. Complex ecological relationships unfolded in his mind like elaborate blueprints. He learned about the delicate balance between predator and prey populations, the seasonal migrations of various spirit beasts, and the environmental factors that influenced herb potency.

  A soft chime interrupted his concentration.

  [Your proficiency with Reading (F) has increased to Adept]

  Caleb barely glanced at the notification before returning to his reading. The Skill felt natural, like he'd shifted into a new gear he didn't know existed. But not just with his reading. It was as if he'd been throttling his own mind, and now concepts that had seemed abstract began clicking. When the text described the hunting patterns of shadowpaw lynx, he could visualize their nocturnal movements through the forest canopy. When it detailed the root structure of sentinel redwoods, he understood how they competed for spiritual energy with nearby flora.

  He finished the first book and immediately reached for the next: A Compendium of Virethane Flora. This volume was even denser, filled with detailed illustrations and reagent compositions that would have intimidated him yesterday. Now, with his enhanced reading speed and growing foundation of knowledge, it felt manageable.

  The section on spirit herbs proved particularly fascinating. Each entry contained physical descriptions and harvesting instructions, as well as detailed analyses of spiritual signatures. The author described how different herbs absorbed and concentrated essence differently, creating unique aural patterns that could be detected through [Spiritual Perception].

  "Duskbell flowers exhibit a distinctive violet aura with metallic undertones, indicative of their affinity for shadow-aspected Mana. When properly harvested during second dusk, their potency increases by approximately thirty percent, as evidenced by the deepening of their spiritual resonance."

  This is incredible. Caleb paused for a moment, marveling at the transformation occurring in his mind. Knowledge from multiple domains was integrating into a cohesive framework. He was developing genuine expertise.

  But more than that, he was beginning to see practical applications. The books were training manuals for survival in a dangerous world, with every page holding vital information for the field that could mean the difference between life and death.

  A particular passage caught his attention, describing an herb called silverbelly moss that grew in underground caverns. According to the text, it possessed powerful healing properties but was notoriously difficult to identify because its spiritual signature closely resembled several toxic varieties.

  "While visually difficult to distinguish, silverbelly moss has a pale green aura with silver threading, a pattern distinct from the solid green of common cave moss or the green-brown mottling of poisonous creeping moss. Furthermore, the threading pattern is crucial for positively identifying ideal ripeness—it should appear as fine, consistent lines rather than random sparkles or blotches."

  Caleb felt a sudden urge to test his new knowledge. The surrounding storeroom was essentially a laboratory's hoard, packed with preserved specimens and alchemical ingredients. If he could apply what he'd learned to identify actual materials, it would prove the practical value of his studies.

  He stood up from the desk, his muscles protesting after hours of sitting. The cramped space felt even smaller as he moved between the ceiling-high shelves, but his passive [Spiritual Perception] revealed a treasure trove of information. Hundreds of containers glowed with various auras—some bright and pure, others dim and corrupted.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Let's see if I can find some silverbelly moss.

  He fed Mana into his perception of the surrounding containers, enhancing it while searching for the distinctive pale green with silver threading. The response was overwhelming. His improved [Spiritual Perception] lit up with information—hundreds of different auras blazing in every direction, creating a chaotic kaleidoscope of felt colors and textures that made his head spin.

  Too much. Waaaaay too much.

  The sensory overload was a disorienting crash of spiritual noise, like a thousand different songs played at once on mismatched instruments. It was a mess, a spiritual junk drawer with no order or priority. He needed some way to filter the information, to focus on what he was actually looking for.

  The problem called forth another memory, which arrived with a bittersweet ache. He was sitting at the kitchen table with Katie, his laptop open between them as she worked on a school research project about marine biology.

  "There's too much stuff, Dad," her frustrated voice whined in his mind. "I type in 'dolphins' and get like a million results. How am I supposed to find what I need?"

  He remembered his patient explanation, showing her how to use search filters to narrow down the results. "Think about what you specifically want to know, sweetheart. Are you looking for where dolphins live? What they eat? How they communicate? The more specific you are, the better answers you'll get."

  Her face had lit up with discovery as she typed in more precise search terms, the flood of information suddenly becoming manageable and useful.

  The memory surged through him. Katie's eager expression, the way she'd leaned against his shoulder as they worked together, the pride in her voice when she found exactly what she needed—all of it preserved but forever out of reach.

  Concentrate on what you need, he told himself, using the grief as fuel for innovation. Not everything at once.

  Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his [Spiritual Perception], but this time he approached it differently. He attempted to wield his perception as a fine instrument, commanding it with his Intent. He seized control of his perception, actively directing the informational flood. Show me pale green auras with silver threading. Remove everything else.

  The technique required careful mental attention, but by leveraging his Intent he could start removing unwanted aura profiles, like tuning a radio to a specific frequency. Gradually, the overwhelming sensory storm began to quiet. Most of the blazing auras faded to background noise, while a few specific signatures emerged.

  There. On a shelf near the back, tucked behind a row of healing potions, a small glass vial pulsed with exactly the pattern he was looking for. Pale green with fine silver lines threading through it like metallic veins.

  Caleb carefully extracted the vial from its crowded position. The label was written in a careful script: Silverbelly Moss - Pristine - 23 Vespar, 416 A.C.

  Pristine grade. According to the books, that indicated exceptional purity and potency. This was a superb specimen of the herb.

  A soft chime announced his success.

  [New Skill Gained: Spiritual Analysis (F) - Novice]

  He appreciated the formal acknowledgment, the system's stamp of approval on the technique he had just cobbled together from a memory of his daughter and his own desire. The process of matching spiritual signatures to theoretical descriptions suddenly felt defined and repeatable. He could see how the moss's aura corresponded exactly to the textbook description, down to the subtle variations in threading density that indicated the moss's age and harvesting conditions.

  He'd just used the memory of his daughter's homework struggles to create a magical search engine. He wasn't sure whether to be proud or embarrassed. Probably both.

  Let's see how far this goes.

  Emboldened by his success, Caleb began systematically identifying other specimens. His new filtering technique allowed him to search for specific aura patterns while ignoring the overwhelming background noise. Each successful identification deepened his understanding and confidence.

  A cluster of deep red crystals matched the description of stone root extract. Processed moonbell petals yielded a pale blue powder. A thick amber liquid proved to be concentrated barksap. As he confirmed a specimen, he cross-referenced its physical appearance with the aural signature, comparing them against his new book knowledge, building a comprehensive mental catalog.

  [Your proficiency with Appraisal (F) has increased to Adept]

  The rank-up notification appeared as he correctly identified a particularly challenging specimen—a dried herb that spiritually felt almost identical to three different varieties but possessed the distinctive wave pattern in the leaf veins of genuine bloodleaf. His [Appraisal] skill now felt precise and reliable, capable of discerning subtle physical differences that would have escaped his notice before.

  He continued his methodical survey of the storeroom, treating each identification as both training and proof of concept. The combination of theoretical knowledge from the books and practical application through [Spiritual Analysis] was creating a baseline of expertise that he was able to apply.

  [Your proficiency with Spiritual Analysis (F) has increased to Practiced]

  The second rank-up came as he successfully distinguished between two nearly identical moss samples based solely on the subtle differences in their spiritual resonance, which felt like the heartbeat of an aura. He had learned that there were different frequencies that denoted the potency and potential of a material, on top of the other synesthetic characteristics he'd experienced since Awakening. The skill was now instinctual, a confident tool he could depend on in the field.

  One more test.

  Caleb stepped back and surveyed the entire storeroom with fresh eyes. Instead of searching for specific herbs, he widened his filtered perception to sweep the space for spiritual resonance in general. He was learning that potency wasn't related to the different frequencies as much as it was to the quality of the frequency. If an aura had a slower frequency—like a ticking clock—something lower in potency might feel like the light pulse of a wristwatch, whereas high potency would reverberate in his sense as if he were standing under the movement of Big Ben. And now that he understood that spiritual resonance was strongly associated with value, he was hoping something would rattle his senses. Hard.

  Most of the containers and vials hummed with a resonance the textbooks would define as dim, or common, with the rare exception of something good enough to be considered vibrant, in Caleb's estimation. Standard fare for any competent alchemist.

  But there, hidden behind a crate of dusty beakers on the highest shelf, one small vial pulsed with a frequency so rich and pure he couldn't distinguish the beats. It sang in his perception like the peal of a bell on a winter day, so crisp and true he needed to take a moment just to appreciate the beauty of it.

  He retrieved a step stool from beside the desk and carefully climbed up to examine the hidden treasure. The vial was no larger than his thumb, wrapped in a soft white glow and filled with a liquid that seemed to shift and swirl with its own internal current. The label was different from the others—older, written in faded ink with a different hand entirely.

  Tears of Renewal - E-Tier Masterwork - Creator Unknown.

  Caleb's new and improved skills combined to provide a limited idea of what he was holding. This was a masterpiece of alchemical art, far surpassing any standard high-quality potion. The spiritual signature indicated healing properties, based on the flavor it shared with the other potions in the room. But it was an energy type he hadn't encountered before, while the rest were all some version of nature. Light, maybe? The resonance suggested a level of potency that bordered on legendary; it was so far beyond everything else in there. He was reminded of how Selara's sword, Flamewright, felt next to his new spear.

  This thing is worth a fortune. What's it doing tucked away in here?

  He carefully returned the vial to its hiding place and returned to the desk. He leaned back in his chair, the chaotic storeroom now looking like an organized map in his mind's eye. A slow smile touched his lips. He'd only digested a small fraction of the material available to him, but in a matter of hours, he'd absorbed more specialized knowledge than most people acquired in weeks of study. His academic gains had become practical tools, ones that would serve him well in the dangerous work ahead.

  Feeling confident in his progress, Caleb summoned his Status screen. The glowing blue interface materialized before him, displaying his current capabilities in neat, organized rows.

  But as he reviewed his progress, a specific phrase from one of the texts surfaced: "Unlike a common bloodline, which can be gifted or transferred through rare alchemical means, a true Soul-Bound Legacy is inherent and immutable, passed down through direct lineage and activated only under specific conditions."

  The passage had seemed like academic trivia when he'd first read it, but now it drove his curiosity. Soul-Bound Legacy. The term felt significant, though he couldn't quite grasp why. It was different from bloodlines, but somehow more fundamental and permanent.

  His eyes drifted to the unchangeable section at the top of his status screen: SOUL IMPARTMENTS. The three abilities that had defined his new existence stared back at him—[Perfect Memory], [Savant of the Mind], [Savant of the Body]. Powers granted by an entity he barely understood, for reasons he couldn't fathom.

  After immersing himself in the dense, complex knowledge of this world for hours, a new appreciation bloomed in him. The person who had assembled this library must possess an incredible depth of understanding. The books contained information that would take a lifetime to accumulate through personal experience. Botanical knowledge, ecological insights, spiritual theory—all organized and preserved with meticulous care.

  But for all of his new information, the books remained silent on the very source of his own power. They omitted any mention of Soul Impartments, any explanation of the mysterious selection process, and any theory about their origins or limitations. His abilities remained as enigmatic as ever, powerful but unexplained. Perhaps he'd find something in time, but he was tired of waiting, of not having answers.

  He needed to find Selara.