Peter stared at the math textbook. The cover showed equations and graphs. Inside were problems about numbers and formulas and patterns that made sense in ways words sometimes didn't.
'This is different,' he thought. 'Not just memorizing facts. Actually solving things.'
He was back in the temporal acceleration dimension.
Same empty house. Same twenty-four hours of silence. But tonight felt different. Tonight he'd brought something new.
The textbook was basic algebra.
Introduction to equations. Solving for X. Simple stuff really. But Peter's three-year-old brain had never done this before. Not in this life anyway.
He opened to chapter one. Variables and constants. The concept was straightforward. X could be any number. You just had to figure out which one made the equation true.
2X + 4 = 10
'So X equals three,' Peter thought. 'Because two times three is six. Plus four makes ten.'
Simple. Almost too simple.
He kept going. Problem after problem. His small hand wrote answers in the margins. The numbers flowed naturally. Like his brain had been waiting for this. Like math was a language he already knew but had forgotten how to speak.
Hours passed. Chapter one became chapter two. Variables became expressions. Expressions became functions. Each concept built on the last. Each problem taught something new.
[Skill Gained: Mathematics - Level 1].
[Progress: 1/10 to Next Level]
Peter smiled. Another skill. Another step forward.
He worked through the night. Well, the dimensional night. Twenty-four hours that didn't exist.
Problem after problem. Page after page. Math wasn't like reading. Math required doing. Practicing. Making mistakes and learning from them.
By hour twenty, Peter had finished half the textbook. His brain felt tired in a good way. Like muscles after a workout. Stretched but not broken.
When he returned to reality, dawn was breaking. Same as always. One second passed while he'd spent a full day learning.
Peter got out of bed. He walked downstairs with the math textbook tucked under his arm. Uncle Ben was already in the kitchen. Coffee brewing. Toast ready.
"Morning, buddy," Uncle Ben said. Then he saw the book. "What's that?"
"Math book. From the library."
Uncle Ben took the book. He flipped through pages. His eyebrows went up. "This is algebra, Peter. High school algebra."
"I know."
"You're three."
"I know."
Uncle Ben set the book down carefully. Like it might explode. "Can you... understand this?"
Peter nodded. He picked up a pencil from the counter. Turned to a random problem in the book. Solved it in the margin. Showed Uncle Ben.
Uncle Ben stared at the answer. His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. "That's... that's correct. I think. It's been a while since I did algebra but that looks right."
"It is right," Peter said.
"How did you learn this?"
Peter had prepared for this question. "Saw it on TV. Educational channel. They explained how equations work."
Uncle Ben looked skeptical. "You learned algebra from TV?"
"Math makes sense. Once you understand the rules, it's just following patterns."
That part was true at least. Math did make sense. Maybe more sense than anything else.
Uncle Ben sat down heavily. He rubbed his face with both hands. "Kid, you're gonna give me a heart attack. You know that?"
"Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Just... maybe warn me next time before you casually solve high school math at the breakfast table."
Peter smiled. He poured himself juice and sat down. Uncle Ben watched him like he was a puzzle with missing pieces.
'I need to be more careful,' Peter thought.
'Can't keep showing off skills I shouldn't have. Even with excuses, it's suspicious.'
But he couldn't stop learning. Wouldn't stop. Every skill mattered. Every stat point counted. He had years before the spider bite. Years before he'd need to be Spider-Man. But preparation took time.
After breakfast, Peter checked his status.
[STATUS]
[Name: Peter Parker]
[Age: 3]
[STATS]
[Physique: 0.12]
[Mind: 1.4 → 1.6]
[Spirit: 1.0]
[TRAITS]
[Enhanced Memory: Recall 35% of information after single viewing]
[SKILLS]
[Reading: 2/10]
[Mathematics: 1/10]
Mind had increased again. Two full points from where he started. His brain was getting sharper. Faster. More capable.
'Good,' Peter thought. 'Let's keep pushing.'
He had a long way to go. But every step forward mattered.
Just a step and you can be a blessing to this author on Patreon at marvelstark.