Chapter Three: Eighteen Catches and an Invoice from the Future

A person does not lose one isolated ability in three hours. What happened on that field?” Lin stared at the screen. The system panel opened silently. [HOST: LIN CHE] [CLUTCH LEVEL: 1] [SETTLED FUTURE TALENT: ABSOLUTE PITCH] [MINIMUM DEDUCTION GRADE FOR NEXT ACTIVE LOAN: B] A row of dim terms appeared underneath: maximum acceleration, three-dimensional awareness, long-term memory, neural recovery, sense of self. This was not a blessing. It was a high-interest loan. It had taken something that appeared unimportant so the borrower would believe the cost was manageable. Next time, it would take something more valuable. His phone vibrated for the tenth time. A message from his agent appeared.