[Leveling] Isn’t Everything ([Systemic] Side Effects, Book 1)
By Stepan Chizhov
When it's really hard to fight the urge to magically improve other people and yourself.
Dr. Sarah Chen thought the worst part of the magical Integration of Earth would be learning to control her new empathic abilities. She was wrong. The worst part is watching a Level 34 Cognitive Dominator sit in her office, tears streaming down her face, asking why her husband can't remember who he used to be.
Tanya Pierce was just trying to be a good teacher. When the System gave her the power to actual...
Show More
When it's really hard to fight the urge to magically improve other people and yourself.
Dr. Sarah Chen thought the worst part of the magical Integration of Earth would be learning to control her new empathic abilities. She was wrong. The worst part is watching a Level 34 Cognitive Dominator sit in her office, tears streaming down her face, asking why her husband can't remember who he used to be.
Tanya Pierce was just trying to be a good teacher. When the System gave her the power to actually help struggling students focus and learn, it felt like a miracle. Every enhanced lesson, every "improved" child brought XP, congratulations, and the intoxicating rush of finally being able to fix what was broken.
Until her sister visited and noticed something chilling: all twenty-seven children in Tanya's class gave identical answers to every question. Word for word.
Now in Bath's first post-Integration therapy practice, Dr. Chen must navigate Level Fixation Disorder, magical ethics, and her own temptation to use her powers to make sessions "easier"—all while her teenage daughter Emma experiments with identity-shifting illusions and the local Roman Baths leak increasingly chaotic magical energy into the Georgian streets.
In a world where the System gamifies everything from emotions to education, three therapists discover that the most radical act might be refusing to optimize other people's humanity.
Some achievements aren't worth unlocking.
Perfect for fans of progression fantasy, cozy catastrophes, and anyone who's ever wondered what happens when good intentions get infinite power-ups. Especially if you may enjoy another view on magical System Integration and want to explore how it may affect the day-to-day experience of ordinary people, not the OP protagonists.
Show Less
![[Leveling] Isn’t Everything ([Systemic] Side Effects, Book 1)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510WxBKRwGL._SL500_.jpg)
