I wasn't allowed outside anymore. It wasn't an official rule, but more of an unspoken decree and I pretended not to notice it. So, we dove straight into our lessons.
Mnex had entered full "teacher cosplay" mode, which sounded fun at first... but it was anything but. No matter how motivated you are, trying to absorb college level physics, chemistry, and biology from a super serious AI who treats "fun" like an urban legend? Don't. Just run. Don't look back.
I tried, by the way. Tried escaping through my mind world. Didn't work. He chased me through it, and when I fled to the real world, he just started lecturing directly into my skull. Now that he had a physical form, he looked like a blend of alien and predator, and still somehow managed to force chemical equations into my brain while sprinting after me.
The worst part?
He had no issue with physical violence.
I hit back, once. He laughed. Then hit me harder.
"Hey, if you don't want to get hit, sitting in a corner crying won't help," he said.
"Your tears don't bother me. Actually… while I'm in energy saving mode, they increase morale output. Keep going. I'm getting more efficient."
"I'm exhausted! How long have we been at this?"
"Not long enough."
"Ugh. Can't you make this more fun?"
"If you want, I can twerk while shouting 'I'm OP now!' That seems to match your sense of entertainment," he said with a smirk. But when I didn't smile, his face turned serious.
"Look. If you don't focus, uploading this information into your brain will take forever. And without it, creating new spells will take an eternity. Neither of us wants that, right?"
Neither do the readers.
"Fine but can't you at least try to motivate me? This is just... torture."
He stopped. Began pacing.
"Aha!" he said, then immediately, "No, that won't work," and kept pacing.
Then he jumped in place. "Got it!"
"What did you get?" I asked, suspicious.
"We're gamifying your training. You'll get a fully functional stat and EXP system so you can track your progress. How's that?"
"You're turning my brain into a video game simulator? What, do I get to shape shadows and collect dead enemies' souls into my personal Pokedex?"
"No, you moron. But you'll get to see your stats. That should be motivating enough. Want to see your first screen?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
A familiar blue interface popped up in front of me, and I instantly regretted it.
[MNEX SYSTEM INTERFACE — PROFILE: TRAGICALLY ACTIVE]
Name: Henry "The Failure" Evan Godfrey
Status: Breathing. Barely.
Mental Capacity: A soft potato
Installed Knowledge: None. Nada. Zilch.
Motivation Level: Critically low — might be allergic to learning
Installed Skills:
• Chemistry: 0 — Thinks 'acid' is just bad milk
• Biology: 0 — Asked if bones grow back
• Math: 0 — Believes 2+2 depends on the mood
• Physics: 0 — Thinks gravity is an opinion
Current Threat Level: None. Except to himself.
Academic Prognosis: Not promising
Main Quest: Try to learn one thing. Anything. Please.
"Hey! This makes me look like a complete idiot!" I shouted, swiping at the screen.
"That's because you are."
I crossed my arms and looked away from the screen. "Fine. But if I improve, you stop calling me an idiot."
"If you complete your training, you won't be an idiot anymore, idiot."
Ugh. He had a point.
"Fine. Let's do this."
We stopped counting time inside the mind world and started tracking progress based on real world days. The first update came three days in.
[MNEX SYSTEM INTERFACE — PROFILE: DISAPPOINTMENT IN PROGRESS]
Name: Henry "At Least He Tried" Evan Godfrey
Status: Alive, Technically Studying
Cognitive Activity: Detected. Surprise!
Installed Skills:
• Chemistry: 1 — Can now spell 'ion'
• Biology: 1 — Realized he has organs
• Math: 0 — Still distrusts numbers
• Physics: 0 — Gravity still 'suspicious'
EXP Gained: +3 (from opening a book and not crying)
Current Threat Level: Mildly annoying to educators
Learning Forecast: Cloudy, with a chance of headaches
Main Quest: Try to learn without whining
Four days later, another update arrived. The numbers were still pathetic but the sarcasm was somehow stronger than ever.
[MNEX SYSTEM INTERFACE — PROFILE: SLOWLY BOOTING]
Name: Henry "Maybe Not Hopeless" Evan Godfrey
Status: Conscious, Mostly Functional
Brain Uptime: ~27 minutes (new record)
Installed Skills:
• Chemistry: 2 — Knows H₂O isn't a wizard spell
• Biology: 1.5 — Can point to his own liver (ish)
• Math: 1 — Understands addition when bribed
• Physics: 1 — Still trying to outrun inertia
EXP Gained: +8 (includes 2 from not complaining)
Threat Level: Manageable. But keep sedatives nearby.
Notes: Retention still shaky. May revert to potato mode.
Main Quest: Pass Mnex's next quiz. Or perish.
Mnex's relentless education schedule left no time for anything else. According to him, once the knowledge was fully uploaded, I'd be ready to start crafting new spells more efficiently.
Outside, it snowed daily. There wasn't much else to do anyway. I locked myself in my room and kept studying.
By the end of our second real world week, the interface changed again.
[MNEX SYSTEM INTERFACE — PROFILE: FUNCTIONING LIKE A LOW-TIER NPC]
Name: Henry "Mediocre but Moving" Evan Godfrey
Status: Alert, Slightly Smug
Brainpower: Activated. May overheat.
Installed Skills:
• Chemistry: 3 — Can balance simple equations (with help)
• Biology: 3 — Knows that humans aren't plants
• Math: 2 — Counts without fingers (most of the time)
• Physics: 2 — Realized friction isn't a rumor
EXP Gained: +17 (mostly from Mnex-induced trauma)
Threat Level: Stable, but under observation
Notes: Developed opinions. Dangerous.
Main Quest: Become smart enough to regret past self
I thought things would get easier from there. They didn't.
Subjects like chemistry, physics, biology, and math evolved from mini bosses to full on mid level bosses. In the first week, my stats had updated twice. After that, it took a whole three weeks to see the next change.
I had no idea how much time passed in the mind world, and I wasn't about to ask Mnex. Knowing wouldn't help.
[MNEX SYSTEM INTERFACE — PROFILE: HE HAS ARRIVED (SORT OF)]
Name: Henry "Semi-Respectable" Evan Godfrey
Status: Awake. Literate. Terrifying.
Mental Core: Operational with minimal lag
Installed Skills:
• Chemistry: 4 — Makes real compounds (not explosions)
• Biology: 4 — Can name organs without guessing
• Math: 3 — Can calculate change. In multiple currencies.
• Physics: 3.5 — Threw a rock, predicted landing. Science!
EXP Gained: +31 (includes bonus for not crying once)
Threat Level: Rising. Mnex mildly impressed.
Notes: Memory recall increasing. So are bad jokes.
Main Quest: Keep going. Shock the system.
From this point onward, the mid bosses fully evolved into actual bosses. The information grew heavier so did Mnex's insults. At some point, I even began to suspect that instead of simply uploading data into my brain, Mnex was trying to carve it in through sheer mental torment. And yet, I realized I was beginning to grasp concepts I never could in my previous life. That last stat drop felt like the first sign of melting snow the quiet herald of spring's arrival.
[MNEX SYSTEM INTERFACE — PROFILE: ACADEMIC ANOMALY]
Name: Henry "Why Am I Proud of This?" Evan Godfrey
Status: Focused. Dangerous. Possibly evolving.
Cognitive State: High Performance Mode (limited time only)
Installed Skills:
• Chemistry: 5 — Understands acids, bases, and insults
• Biology: 5 — Can label a frog and dissect it (yikes)
• Math: 5 — Solves equations. For fun.
• Physics: 5 — Can explain inertia while punching something
EXP Gained: +99 (including "insult resilience" bonus)
Threat Level: Elevated. Do not provoke.
Notes: Might be smarter than the author.
Main Quest: Apply knowledge. Rule world. Twerk responsibly.
As if mastering the sciences wasn't enough, Mnex started sneaking in lessons on politics too.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because when you grow up, you'll need it."
Could've waited until I actually grew up, maybe?
Still, I had to admit I felt smarter. Genuinely smarter.
"You're now as intelligent as a crow," said Mnex.
"A crow? Aren't monkeys smarter?"
"Roughly the same, though monkeys are more socially intelligent. Crows are better at problem solving and planning. So you, my dear student, are now a winged monkey."
He erased something from the chalkboard and turned to me.
"How do you feel?"
I thought about it. Responding to his insults usually pleased him too much, so I ignored them.
"Hungry," I said. "But not for food."
The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. It was like being handed a new toy every hour. I wanted to play. To try. To know.
"Good," Mnex said, finishing his board cleaning routine.
"We'll return to the real world now. It's not the right time to learn new spells yet, give it a day or two so your brain can digest all this."
He was right. My first winter in this world had been intense, but productive. The fire inside me fueled by the looming threat of losing Roderic, was still burning. But I also knew now that waging war against the entire kingdom would destroy not just me, but my family too.
So for now… just for now, I was going to suck it up.
I opened my eyes.
Back in my room, the headache returned, but it wasn't as brutal as the first days. At least I wasn't vomiting anymore. I walked toward the window.
I didn't look four years old anymore. Over the past few months, I'd grown fast, tall enough to pass for six or seven. Thanks to Mnex manipulating my hormones, I wasn't just growing, I was growing right. Strong, fast, healthy.
The snow was gone. The cold had softened. Spring had arrived.
And then…
BAAM!
My door slammed open.
I turned, expecting my grandfather.
But it wasn't him.
It was Raymond.
Breathless. Disheveled. Covered in dirt and sweat.
He looked like he'd just sprinted across the entire estate.