My skill tree increases every day.

It was 6:03 a.m.

Lin Yu sat at the table, holding a small Phillips screwdriver in his hand, with an antique clock that had been silent for many years in front of him.

3:07:24.

This is the time displayed on the dial by three stationary gilded hands.

Lin Yu remembers this clock.

A style common in the late 19th century, inspired by small workshops in the Black Forest region of Germany.

Taking a deep breath and holding it, Lin Yu pressed the screwdriver against a delicate screw on the back of the clock case, applying slight pressure with his fingers.

The screw threads are quite fine, which is indeed a specification commonly used in small workshops in the Black Forest region during the 19th century, as I recall.

A moment later, Lin Yu removed all the screws, calmed himself down, and carefully removed the brass back cover.

The clock's internal parts were disassembled methodically, cleaned, derusted, and lubricated before being reassembled and wound up.

creak.

The gilded second hand, which had been still for over a hundred years, finally began to turn, steadily jumping forward one notch.

3:07:25.

The clock, which had been stopped for over a century, started beating again at this moment.

"Holy crap! You're really good at this!" came an exclamation from the side.

My roommate Liu Zhiyuan woke up at some point, his hair a mess, his pajamas loose, and he was leaning against the door frame, his face full of disbelief.

"I bought this thing just to display it, and you actually fixed it up?"

Releasing his grip on the wind-up key, Lin Yu smiled faintly: "Give it a try, and it works surprisingly well."

This time, Lin Yu wasn't just trying; he knew exactly how to fix the clock.

Every step, from removing the screws from the outer casing to mixing the cleaning solution, to understanding the function and assembly sequence of each component inside the movement, and finally the number of turns and the force used to wind the mainspring…

All of this was meticulously remembered, precisely guiding his hands.

Lin Yu had no prior knowledge of the internal structure of mechanical clocks, nor had he learned how to repair such antique clocks. He was able to do all of this entirely based on his memory.

These memories suddenly appeared when Lin Yu woke up the day before yesterday, or more precisely, when Lin Yu discovered that the thermos cup that had accompanied him throughout his high school years was missing.

Lin Yu, 20 years old, is a sophomore majoring in history at Qingzhou University of Science and Technology.

My life was simple to the point of being monotonous: classroom, library, the convenience store where I worked, and the small apartment I shared. My biggest worries were final exams and always having a tight budget for living expenses after moving out.

Until the day before yesterday, his knowledge of watches was limited to the cheap watch in his hand that cost a dozen yuan.

But now, he can not only easily disassemble and maintain a 19th-century antique mechanical clock, but he can even judge the health of a clock by the slight sound of the gears meshing.

This is not a skill that an ordinary college student should possess.

Everything changed a week ago, on that ordinary Wednesday.

While tidying up the bookshelf, Lin Yu discovered that a set of old books he had bought by weight, "The Complete Book of Astronomy and Stars," was missing. At the same time, a memory of sailing a sailboat in a storm appeared in his mind.

Since then, Lin Yu has discovered that every day when he wakes up, he loses an item and gains a strange memory.

The next day, Lin Yu discovered that his phone charger was missing. Correspondingly, he gained the memory of how to play a piano piece called "Für Elise," even though he had never touched a piano before.

On the third day, when Lin Yu couldn't find his half-bottle of shower gel no matter what he did, a memory of enjoying French cuisine by candlelight flashed through his mind.

To be honest, it smells really good.

These memories are diverse, coming from different regions and even different eras. Some are interesting experiences of someone, while others are memories of a certain skill.

This made Lin Yu very excited.

Moreover, the memories Lin Yu acquires are not just those in his brain; he also gains broader muscle memories.

Lin Yu can quickly master some new skills through these memories.

Brain: I've learned it!

Hand: Me too!

These skills, which normally require a lot of time and effort to acquire, can be mastered with just a little practice based on what you've memorized. And the price to pay is nothing more than trivial things like a water cup, a book, or shower gel.

Two days ago, after discovering that he had this memory about repairing clocks, Lin Yu immediately prepared a set of tools and asked Liu Zhiyuan for the antique clock he had found at the night market, and began to try it out with great enthusiasm.

"Wow, Yu-ge, that's amazing!" Liu Zhiyuan leaned closer, listening to the steady ticking of the clock, and clicked his tongue in amazement. "You had this skill all along! You were keeping it a secret!"

Lin Yu smiled and said, "I just figured it out randomly in my spare time."

"Alright, return it to its rightful owner." Lin Yu pushed the clock towards Liu Zhiyuan. "Be careful, this thing is purely mechanical and delicate."

Liu Zhiyuan happily picked it up, as if he had received a new toy: "Thanks! This time, my money wasn't wasted!"

Lin Yu watched as Liu Zhiyuan carried the bell back to his own room before putting away his tools and wiping his hands.

I have class at 10 a.m. today, and I have to work at a convenience store at noon.

Lin Yu's life seemed to continue on its original track, except that his brain had an ever-expanding treasure trove of memories.

It feels good, like having a wonderful superpower.

Yesterday's memory was about watch repair; what about today?

Lin Yu got up and checked the things around him. Based on his previous experience, he usually remembered what he had lost after he realized what he had lost.

Lin Yu hadn't yet discovered what he'd lost yesterday, and consequently, he had no memory of it.

Of course, it's also possible that this ability isn't triggered every day.

As I walked to my desk, my gaze habitually swept across the surface—the computer, the open notebook, a few pens, and a potted cactus.

This time, Lin Yu quickly discovered that something was missing.

It was a glass cup that Lin Yu bought on sale at the supermarket. It was cylindrical, made of clear glass, and had no patterns. Lin Yu often used it to hold cold drinks.

Just as Lin Yu discovered the glass was missing, a memory suddenly rushed into his mind!

A pair of hands.

A pair of hands with black and red grime embedded in their fingernails.

The hands gripped an exceptionally sharp obsidian dagger. Following the movement of those hands, the gaze fell upon a naked, emaciated figure.

The obsidian blade fell, peeling away the skin and fascia along the muscle fibers...

Lin Yu's face was pale, his stomach was cramping, and a feeling of nausea rushed to his throat.

"vomit--"

Rushing into the toilet, pushing past Liu Zhiyuan who was washing up, Lin Yu vomited while holding onto the lifted toilet seat.

"Brother Yu, are you alright?"

Liu Zhiyuan, who was washing up nearby, was terrified by Lin Yu's actions. Holding his mouthwash cup and toothbrush, with foam all over his mouth, he stared blankly at Lin Yu, who was pale and covered in sweat, and asked him a question.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly feel a little nauseous."

Lin Yu vomited everything in his stomach until he could vomit no more. Then he got up, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

Turning to look at Liu Zhiyuan's head, Lin Yu blurted out a sentence subconsciously.

"Liu, has anyone ever told you that your skullcap is very round and perfect for making a gabala bowl?"

"Brother Yu, don't think I don't know. Gabala requires lamas who have achieved spiritual attainment; mine won't do."

"Yes, what a pity."

"By the way, are you interested in becoming a lama?"