A Good Saturday

Jason isn't the type to be focused for long. That's why he has a method to anything he does. Do it simply and efficiently. All he needs is one Wikipedia article to deep dive into everything he needs to know about a subject. Any school project, wikipedia. Any random fact he wants to scrutinize from a movie, wikipedia. 

Jason loves it. He lives by it. When he isn't playing video games. 

Schools looked down on it for a while but Wikipedia solidified itself as an extensive encyclopedia of knowledge. So it is the perfect spot to start in his eyes. The first page already told him so much he needs to know. Then hyperlink after hyperlink he dives deeper into surface level aspects. 

From his research he was able to learn a few things. Reading can be separated into 3 forms; Subvocalization, auditory reading and visual reading.

Each with varying speeds but equal comprehension. What it required was time and training. The system would give him that dedicated time. The system was perfection. Perfect practice, perfect time. Imagine if every second someone worked on something was done with no distractions and done perfectly. The 10,000 hour rule would turn into 5,000 maybe even 1,000.

Jason knows that's the principle the system is based on but until he tests it he has no idea how much these skills will be affected. 

Now it's up to him. He sits in uncertainty. Is this the right time to test it? He has a basis of knowledge that will help him understand how effective the system is. Does he have enough time though? 

Jason sighs.

Ana and Kyle look at him with anticipation. Jason is stuck at that computer in limbo and while his family eyes him, he mulls over his decision. For the first time in his life he doesn't want to be efficient just to be lazy. Jason wants absolute optimization. 

Finally he decides.

After an hour of research. 'Open system timer'

[14:01:27/24:00:00]

'That should be enough. System allocate total time to speed reading.'

[Time allocated. Double exp bonus! Hours required drop in half. You aren't as stupid as you are lazy. You can almost be proud..]

[Speed Reading: Lvl 1] [Exp: 2/25]

[Idle system: Lvl 1] [Exp: 1.17/10]

In seconds new information begins welling into his mind. His whole life he has read one way. Suddenly it felt like something had switched. The foundations of his literacy has shifted. Every word that enters his eyes feels like it should be read differently. A shift in something so basic feels like he is learning to walk again and tripping over new legs.

For a moment the writing on the computer screen twists and turns in his brain. Suddenly every word he reads is automatically spoken softly. His lips moving faster and faster as if his body is getting used to the information being written into his brain. 

"Hey you good dude?" Kyle asks him.

Jason nods, "Yeah I'm good just reading," his mind dragging away from reading the screen. 'I will test the reading in a moment.' 

He starts looking over how the hours translate into the experience. 'It seems the double experience made the allocation 1:1 ratio. That means if I didn't do starting research the system would take more time to aquire the information. There is always a cost in this world. The ratio for level one seems to have dropped to 2 hrs per 1 experience point. When I start a new skill I will have to test a small hour amount to see what the base ratio is going forward. Unless I mess up somehow, for now this is good.'

Jason pushes himself out of the chair and stretches his arms. He moves passed Ana and Kyle as they watch Saturday morning cartoons. Jason not so slyly steps over their legs propped up on the living room table and takes one of Ana's romance books.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Ana reaches for Jason trying to take the book back.

"Don't worry. I just want to check it out." Jason pushes her hand away while Kyle chuckles a bit. Jason sporting a rare smile as he teases his sister. 

Jason plops down and begins reading. Suddenly every cliché word passes from his eyes and into his head like nothing. Most people read 200-300 words a minute without skimming. Now he's reading almost double that close to 400 words. It's not perfect but it's a start. Even that will shave off half the time. 

He chuckles to himself. This is perfect now to sit back and find something to do...

"Hey guys, do you wanna go out?" Jason asks.

Ana and Kyle both look at each other in shock. What does he mean 'go out'. He never wants to go out. 

"Where do you wanna go? We can go anywhere?" Kyle says as fast as he can like this chance would dissapear if he didn't grasp it instantly. 

Ana looks at him anticipating all the things he could say. Maybe the Movies or an arcade. Maybe even an amusement park. They hadn't gone anywhere together since their parents died. Anything would be exciting. 

Jason notices how serious they both look but doesn't give anything away with his flat expression. 

"Let's go to the library." Jason suggests. 

Jason could go by himself. It wasn't far, a couple miles away and about a 30 minute walk, but he wanted more time with them. Sure he was going there for other reasons and one would be going out with them. 

"The library?.. Really," Ana smacks Kyles arm, "Dude, of course. Lets get ready." 

Ana smiles and quickly shuffles her crutches to her room. "Lets get Ice cream after!" 

"Of course," Kyle smiles. It was hard to sit in this apartment that constantly reminds them of their parents. This would be nice.

Jason smiles as he watches them rush around. He doesn't smile outside of being with them. He had no reason to but even then it's hard to smile even now. 

'I miss them.' 

They get ready fast and rush out of the house. The Library is close so it doesn't take them long, but that doesn't stop them from jamming to some music. For the first time in a year they all laugh together. Jason, Kyle and Ana smile with a hint of sadness in their eyes. 

Kyle talks first when they stop. "I missed this. I miss you both. I'm sorry I'm such a hard ass and don't see you guys enough but I'm so happy you guys are my little siblings. I love you both so much." 

Ana tears up and tries not to cry. She doesn't have a chance to feel guilty with how much love they shower her with. "I love you guys." she says through soft sniffles. 

Jason is silent. 'I won't let anything happen to them.'

"Kyle that's obvious. Lets go before we all start crying." Jason tries to deflect. 

"Yeah whatever you little shit. You're just afraid you will cry more than both of us." Kyle jests. 

"Yeah yeah love you too, lets hurry up so we can get ice cream." Jason hurries Kyle while he helps Ana out of the car. 

"I might want to get a new book, but i definitely want ice cream more." Ana drools as she thinks of strawberry cheescake ice cream. 

The Library has been here for at least a century. The library was just on the outskirts of the city center. Only a block away from the city hall and courthouse. The old districts have been revamped over the decades a few times so this old library barely has any of it's old parts, besides the front desk. 

Jason takes in the old wooden furniture contrasting the modern steel exterior. Everyone was sitting at tables or couches reading, studying, working on computers and just relaxing. The library was full, but one person caught his eye quickly while he was getting a library card. A girl with books stacked high next to her was studying. She couldn't be much older than him. Either a senior like himself or in college. 

She was beautiful and for a second he got lost looking over at her. 

"Jason? You ready" Ana calls to him. 

Jason shakes himself out of it and focuses on the task at hand. "Yeah, I'm ready." 

They split up in the library even though they never stray too far from Ana. Jason grabs three books. All with one thing in common. Easily readable introductory books. He already has a plan for the next skills he would need the most. 

1. Something to improve memory (Memory Book: The classic guide to improving memory)

2. Hacking (Hacking for Dummies)

3. Communication skills (Persuasion and communication, Social Psychology)

Improving his memory will allow him to pair his speed reading and have no issues with school. He could easily become the top of his class in any subject that requires route memorization. Hacking will allow him to start looking into the people that murdered his parents. He knows he will need government resources. The police failed him, but their resources won't. Next communication skills. He is uncharismatic, talks too much about special interests and has no skills in making friends. He can't move through the world being an antisocial nobody. 

'This is just the beginning. This will be the foundation to my power'

"You ready for Ice cream," Ana clearly still has one goal on her mind. 

"Yeah. I'm done. Let's go." Jason got what he needs. While Kyle and Ana grabbed some comics and popular fiction. 

Jason smiles as they leave and enjoy their weekend together. He imagines the life he wants. A life where no one can take anything from him again. Where he isn't bullied or look down on. A life where he has money, respect and real strength. The same strength those men have. 

'I will have that life.' He promises. 

'This system will give me it, everything. If I am smart and patient. I will have it all.'