Interlude: Crossroads of the Gift
With a heart pounding with tension and excitement, I tapped the message window. [Would you like to strengthen your Gift? Y/N] It reminded me of the first time my Gift awakened. Back then, everything was such a blur that I couldn't even remember how it happened. This time, though, I wanted to take it slow and analyze what kind of strengthening would occur. After all, the direction of the Gift's enhancement would likely shape my future strategies.
Would you like to strengthen your Gift?
Y / N
Well, even if I tried, it would probably end in an instant, regardless of my will, just like before.
...Or so I thought.
But contrary to my expectations, the Gift strengthening didn't proceed that way. A new message window appeared before my eyes.
You have instinctively sensed that you now stand at a tremendous crossroads.
I froze with my finger still on the strengthen button. If I lifted it now, the enhancement would surely complete in an instant. But I couldn't let go. Why had this message appeared right at this moment? Just to build suspense? No, that couldn't be. The message was trying to convey something important.
The Observation Gift wasn't some magic lamp revealing facts beyond my knowledge. It was the ability to awaken facts I already knew consciously or unconsciously, then articulate and organize them clearly. So, what had I realized? What was I overlooking?
Then, the word "crossroads" caught my eye. That phrasing suggested the strengthening wasn't random—it was like choosing from multiple options. And "options" implied I could predict and influence the enhancement based on my actions or choices. If I couldn't even perceive or select them, it would be no different from random anyway.
Looks like I was right.
You have successfully observed the Gift strengthening system through logical reasoning.
Gift strengthening offers multiple possibilities, responding to the possessor's disposition, experiences, and above all, their personal resentment to evolve in the desired form.
It's only natural that a power strengthened through resentment is influenced by that resentment.
It was only natural that a power strengthened through resentment would be influenced by that resentment. That was the hidden truth of Gift strengthening I'd unconsciously grasped. The enhancement wasn't purely random—it could be guided to some extent by the possessor's will, my will. I got it. It was like a skill tree in a game.
And at the same time, I realized how to proceed with this strengthening. Keeping my hand on the window, I closed my eyes and focused my mind.
"...Teacher?"
"Shh. Let me concentrate for a bit."
The key to strengthening the Gift lay in my resentment. There was no way Observation couldn't perceive that resentment—after all, it was my own subconscious. If Observation could concretize and articulate information from my subconscious, it could surely do the same for my strengthening options!
And soon, as if responding to my strong desire, a list of options unfolded before me.
├─ Deep Observation: Deepens and strengthens the 'Observation' ability itself. Immediately pulls unconsciously realized information into conscious awareness. Overloading beyond your limits may cause overload status.
├─ Foresight: Steps into the realm of 'Observation' beyond reason and logic. Grants vague premonitions of futures impossible for a Gift possessor to know. However, you cannot control it with your will, and activation may cause overload status.
├─ Ghost Story Comprehension: Increases understanding of ghost stories, revealing weaknesses, behavioral principles, etc. You can comprehend ghost stories. Ghost stories are comprehended.
├─ Gaslight Effect: Enables use of information gained from 'Observation'. Guides others' actions or psychological states in your desired direction. Success rate and effect increase with understanding of the target; limited to humans.
└─ Advice: Enables use of information gained from 'Observation'. Predicts target's growth based on understanding, and concretizes potential through advice. Success rate and effect increase with understanding of the target; limited to humans. ★ NEW OPTION UNLOCKED
"...So these are the possibilities for my Gift strengthening."
"Uh... Miss Elaine. The teacher is suddenly muttering weird things to himself."
"Don't mind him. He does that sometimes."
I ignored the background noise and slowly examined the five options that had appeared. Five choices—if I'd strengthened without using Observation, I'd have been robbed blind. Some had flaws, but they were overwhelmingly powerful abilities overall. My current Gift already surpassed ordinary ones, but these described superhuman realms beyond humanity.
First, Deep Observation. A simple upgrade to Observation itself. But like the strongest cards in games with plain text, it was incredibly potent. It pulled subconscious insights directly into consciousness. How many times had I obtained info but buried it subconsciously, missing the timing? Or wasted time pondering what I'd overlooked to bring it to the surface? With this, no more logical deduction needed. Even a fleeting glance would reveal useful info instantly. If I'd had it, I'd have saved several regressions against Brandon's ghost story or Rone's recognition monster.
The second was even more absurd. If Deep Observation maximized logical thinking, Foresight transcended logic entirely—super-rational vs. super-intuitive. Deep Observation couldn't create something from nothing; it required experiences to gather key info first, and those against ghost stories were dangerous and horrific. But Foresight skipped that, conjuring info from thin air like a magic lamp. The downside? Uncontrollable, with overload risk on both, meaning inability to use until resolved.
These two were like 'Insight' and 'Precognition' trees—high potential, risks offset by further strengthening.
The third felt out of place: Ghost Story Comprehension. Specialized Observation for ghost stories—perfect for my academy goal. Beyond useful, it was a cheat: instantly spotting weaknesses made it superior to Deep Observation or Foresight against ghost stories, which were invincible without exploits but crumbled pathetically with them. But the phrasing—"You can comprehend ghost stories. Ghost stories are comprehended."—repeated thrice ominously. Was it just weaknesses, or deeper? Quotes like "If you gaze long into the abyss..." or Nietzsche's monster warning came to mind. Over-comprehending might assimilate my mind to them—paranoid, maybe, but...
Fourth: Gaslight Effect, or gaslighting. Using Observation to manipulate others. Helpful for evacuations or cover-ups, but human-only was limiting. And creepy as hell.
Fifth was its inferior: Advice. No manipulation, just advising—probably the most useless.
After reviewing all five, I dismissed the last three and pondered Insight vs. Precognition. Ghost Story Comprehension tempted, but felt ominous; Elaine covered ghost story info anyway.
Foresight? Deep Observation's instant uptake was nice, but replaceable with careful thinking and current Observation. Foresight expanded strategy irreplaceably—but uncontrollable.
"Heh. Happy dilemma."
"...Teacher Allen is grinning creepily!!"
"Ignore him. He's been eyes closed muttering for dozens of minutes."
Harsh kids. They were excited like it was their own at first, now bored.
"Tch. What do you know."
Ah, another Gift problem: choosiness.
...Wait.
As I thought, a realization hit. I could control my strengthening via Observation. But the students? Unable to delve into their subconscious, could they only get random enhancements? Bad. Even I had powerful options like Deep Observation/Foresight, but also evil ones like Gaslight—or risky like Ghost Story Comprehension narrowing strategies.
Then it clicked. Ah, so the fifth, Advice, was for that. Like how Observation guided my growth, Advice let me guide theirs.
....No long deliberation.
"...I'll choose 'Advice'. I desire Advice."
The scheduled Gift for strengthening is 'Ghost Story Comprehension'. Do you really wish to reassign to 'Advice'?
"Yes. I sincerely resent Advice."
Ghost stories can't be solved alone. No matter how much I strengthen, I can't beat them solo. That's why I made the Paranormal Investigation Club.
Lowering my peak to raise theirs? Why not?
Observation → Ghost Story Comprehension
ZZZzt!
Observation → Gho■t ■to■ry ■Com■prehen■sion
ZZZZzt!
Observation → Advice
Observation and Advice. Perfect for a teacher, right?
Proceed with Gift strengthening?
Of course.
Flash!
"Kyaa! So bright!?"
"Wh-what is it! I was in the middle of my novel...!"
"My eyes! My beautiful eyes, called the Red Ruby of society!!!"
"Miss Rozalia! You're too loud!!"
Like in regressions, intense light filled the club room. And I felt something accumulated from resolving ghost stories flowing into me.
"...Teacher Allen. Is it done?"
"Yeah."
"Then, will you tell us? What you saw and experienced during the strengthening."
"I had a lot to tell you anyway. You should thank me. Be grateful always."
"...Did it go wrong somehow?"
Thus, I made my choice at the great crossroads. Time would prove if it was right.