LightReader

Chapter 70 - Encounter 2: side story 2

Reincarntion of the magicless Pinoy!

From Zero to Hero " No Magic? No Problem!"

Encounter 2: side story 2

Project Idea #3: Artificial Ice

The following morning, Rolien was already back in Mr. Yohan's workshop — hair messy, eyes sparkling with ideas, and his notebook stuffed with half-erased diagrams.

Mr. Yohan looked up from the forge, wiping his hands on a rag. "You're here early again, young master. What's next? Another fruit-slicing contraption?"

Rolien shook his head. "No. This time, I'm going to make things cold."

The craftsman blinked. "Cold? You mean like ice? Without magic?"

Rolien nodded firmly. "Exactly."

Yohan chuckled. "You're telling me you can make winter in a jar, boy?"

"Not winter—just cold," Rolien said, flipping open his notebook to a sketch that looked like a strange metal box with pipes and coils. "See, everything around us has something called heat. It's what makes things warm. If we can pull that heat away, what's left is cold."

Yohan squinted at the sketch. "Pull the heat away… how do you plan to grab something you can't even see?"

Rolien smiled. "Not by grabbing it—by moving it."

He took out a small copper pipe and a glass jar from his bag. "Think of it like this: when water turns to gas, like steam, it takes heat from what's around it. That's why your skin feels cold when sweat dries. It's stealing your body's warmth to change into vapor."

The old craftsman rubbed his beard, starting to follow. "So, if you make something that keeps turning into gas and back to liquid…"

"It can keep sucking the heat away," Rolien finished with a grin. "That's how cooling works. In theory, it's called a 'refrigeration cycle.'"

Yohan stared at the boy for a moment before sighing. "Rolien, sometimes I forget you're ten."

Rolien grinned wider. "That's fine. Most people do."

They worked all afternoon — scavenging copper tubing, glass flasks, and froststone, a mineral that cooled when crushed. Rolien used it as a primitive coolant.

"See this?" he said, holding the froststone over a metal cup. "If we can make a chamber that traps this gas and makes it flow through pipes, we can push the cold air wherever we want — like under a box of milk or fruit."

Yohan crossed his arms. "You're building something between a forge and an ice chest. Dangerous mix."

"Science is supposed to be dangerous," Rolien said with a grin. "At least until it's safe."

But then Yohan leaned back, narrowing his eyes. "Alright, genius. Let's say it works. What'll power it?"

That question hit Rolien like a brick. He froze.

"Oh…" He blinked twice. "Oh, right… power. I forgot I don't have magic."

Mr. Yohan blinked before bursting out laughing. "Hahahaha! Back to the drawing board, eh?"

Rolien slumped against the workbench, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." He took a deep breath, then muttered under his breath, "System, show me how many reputation points I still have."

A soft ding! echoed in his ears, and a translucent window appeared in front of him:

Ding! You still have 1,600 points.

"Alright," Rolien whispered. "Search for battery and solar panel blueprints."

Ding! Affirmative. Searching...

Blueprint match found!

A faint diagram appeared before his eyes — something mechanical yet simple, something even Yohan could help build. Rolien's eyes lit up as he grabbed his notebook and began sketching. His pencil moved fast, guided by both memory and the system's image hovering beside him.

Yohan leaned over, confused. "What's that you're drawing now?"

Rolien didn't look up. "A power source. A tool that stores sunlight and turns it into energy. With this, we can make the cooling system run without mana."

Yohan scratched his head. "Sunlight... makes cold?"

Rolien smiled without stopping his sketching. "Not directly. But with enough sunlight, I can make anything work."

The old craftsman stared at him — the boy's hands smudged with graphite, his eyes glowing with that same relentless spark. Then he chuckled softly. "You really are something else, young master."

Rolien didn't answer. He just flipped the page and wrote at the top of his drawing:

Project Idea #4: Sun-Powered Battery.

And for the first time that day, the workshop fell silent — except for the sound of pencil scratching and the quiet hum of a dream turning into design.

The next day, sunlight streamed through the workshop windows, scattering across bits of metal, copper coils, and half-finished gadgets cluttering the tables. Rolien stood on a stool, sleeves rolled up, scribbling equations on a wooden board like a professor in miniature.

Lyra sat nearby, sorting through gears and wires, humming softly as she tried to keep up with whatever madness her young master was brewing this time.

Just as Rolien connected two copper wires and sparks hissed, the door creaked open.

"...What is it this time?"

Elian's voice carried from the doorway — half tired, half amused. The young man leaned against the frame, arms crossed, watching his little brother surrounded by tools and a mountain of notes.

Lyra chuckled under her breath. "You know how it is, young master Elian. The boy's mind never rests. Yesterday it was fruit shakes, today… well…"

Mr. Yohan looked up from the anvil, wiping his hands. "He's trying to build a box that makes things cold. Without magic."

Elian blinked. "Cold? Like ice?"

"Exactly," Yohan replied, gesturing toward Rolien, who was now carefully fitting a small metal plate onto a wooden frame. "He says he's going to power it using sunlight."

Elian arched a brow, trying not to laugh. "Sunlight? Doesn't that make things hot, not cold?"

Rolien turned around, his expression dead serious. "Not if you know how to use it right."

That answer caught Elian off guard. He stepped closer, peering at the strange setup — a series of metal plates arranged in a row, each lined with blackened glass.

"And this... does what exactly?"

Rolien grinned. "These plates absorb sunlight. The energy can be stored inside special crystals — like charging a mana stone, but with light instead of magic. Then, that energy can power the gears and pump in my cooling box."

Elian stared at him. "You're ten. You're not supposed to know words like 'energy transfer'."

Rolien shrugged. "And yet here I am."

Mr. Yohan chuckled, shaking his head. "Told you, the boy's got a mind sharper than a blade."

Elian crouched beside his little brother, eyeing the setup. "So, let me guess — this thing's gonna keep your fruit drinks cold, huh?"

Rolien scratched the back of his neck, a small grin tugging at his lips. "...Maybe. But also meat. And milk. And medicine. Imagine — no more spoiled food, no more melted sweets."

That made Elian pause. Beneath the teasing, he couldn't deny it — his little brother wasn't just playing. He was thinking ahead, always trying to solve problems no one else even saw.

He stood, patting Rolien's shoulder. "You're something else, kid. Just don't blow yourself up before lunch, alright?"

Rolien saluted. "No promises."

As Elian left, Yohan leaned over to Lyra and whispered, "You know, I think the young master might actually do it."

Lyra smiled softly, watching Rolien tinker under the bright light. "Oh, he will. He always does."

After setting up the makeshift solar panel on the roof, Rolien stood with his hands on his hips, squinting at the sun. The system wasn't perfect, but it was finally catching light the way he wanted.

"Alright," he murmured to himself, brushing dust off his hands. "If this works, I can finally test the next project—light."

From the balcony, Lady Lirein watched her youngest son with a faint smile, her fingers tapping the railing. "He's at it again," she sighed softly, though there was a trace of pride in her voice.

Inside the workshop, Rolien leaned over the cluttered worktable, staring at small wires and glass tubes spread across it. "Electricity's useless if I don't make something that uses it," he muttered, grabbing his notebook. "Light bulb first. But… I need a filament. Something that glows, not burns out."

Behind him, his nanny Lyra peeked over his shoulder. "A what now, young master?"

"A filament," Rolien said, tapping his drawing. "A tiny wire that glows when electricity passes through it."

Lyra squinted at the sketch. "And where are you supposed to find a glowing wire? We don't just have those lying around the pantry, you know."

Rolien paused, then smirked. "That's the problem—I don't have one yet. Which means…" He closed his notebook with a grin. "I need to go find one."

Lyra frowned, crossing her arms. "You mean sneaking out again, don't you?"

Rolien laughed awkwardly. "Sneaking? No! Let's call it… field research."

She sighed deeply, the kind that said she'd already lost the argument. "If your mother finds out you've gone off chasing metals again, I'll be the one getting scolded."

He just winked at her. "Don't worry, Nanny Lyra. I'll be back before dinner."

At the workshop, Mr. Yohan looked up from his forge as Rolien entered, backpack slung over one shoulder and his notebook tucked under his arm.

"Off somewhere again, young master?"

"Yeah," Rolien said, adjusting his straps. "I'm looking for a kind of metal that glows when current passes through. It needs to handle heat without melting too fast—like a string that shines."

The old craftsman frowned, rubbing his beard. "A metal that glows, eh? There's something like that—Star Ore. The dwarves say it hums when touched by magic. It's rare, but you might find traces near the Northern Ravine."

Rolien's eyes lit up. "Star Ore… that sounds perfect." He tightened his gloves. "Thanks, Mr. Yohan. I'll bring some back."

"Careful, lad," Yohan warned. "That ravine's crawling with mana beasts. You're clever, but clever won't stop fangs."

Rolien grinned. "Don't worry, I brought my air gun."

By afternoon, Rolien was hiking through the forest trail leading to the ravine, his satchel filled with tools—an alloy pickaxe, a solar lantern prototype, and a few gadgets he'd built from scrap parts.

He glanced at the sketch of the light bulb in his notebook and muttered, "If I can get this Star Ore to glow right, I'll have light even after sundown."

A gust of wind brushed past him, carrying the scent of moss and iron. The deeper he went, the dimmer the sunlight became.

He smiled faintly. "Looks like adventure's back on the menu."

The forest thickened as Rolien made his way toward the Northern Ravine. The air grew damp and heavy with mana, the kind that made your skin prickle. He checked his compass-like gadget and adjusted course, muttering, "Two clicks north… then the ravine should—"

A low hiss cut him off.

From the treeline, red eyes glinted — one, then two, then five. The underbrush trembled as wolf-like mana beasts crept out, their bodies marked with faint glowing lines pulsing with blue energy.

Rolien slowly set down his pack. "Oh, come on… I just got here."

The biggest one growled, saliva dripping from its fangs, then pounced.

Rolien sidestepped at the last second and thrust his palm forward. His body shifted smoothly into stance — light, balanced. A faint hum resonated in his chest as his spirit core flickered.

"Spirit Art—Hammer Strike!"

He struck the beast midair, but instead of sending it flying, the impact looked… subtle. The creature landed, staggered—then its entire body convulsed as if hit by a shockwave from within. It collapsed instantly.

Rolien exhaled, shaking his hand slightly. "Still too much output."

The rest circled, snarling. He darted forward, slipping between two of them, and hit the second one in the ribs with another Hammer Strike. Thump! The sound was dull, almost quiet, but the effect was brutal—the beast froze, then crumpled as internal force rippled through its organs.

Two more lunged together. Rolien crouched low, rolling under their jump, grabbed a stick, and jammed it into the ground to propel himself upward. As he flipped, his spirit energy focused again — the glow around his chest faintly golden.

"Double—Hammer Strike!"

He dropped down between them like a thunderclap, landing two quick blows. The beasts shuddered, coughed blood, and fell limp before they even hit the ground.

Only one remained. It backed away, growling uncertainly. Rolien glared at it, his expression calm but sharp. "Smart choice," he said when it turned tail and fled into the woods.

He brushed the dirt off his sleeves, muttering, "Guess my control's improving… but I still can't maintain the recoil well." His arm trembled faintly from the backlash. "Spirit compression's harder without proper guidance."

He took a deep breath and moved on, following the faint hum of mana that grew stronger with every step. The trees gave way to a narrow gorge lined with glittering stones.

"There you are," he murmured, kneeling by a rock wall streaked with faint blue veins. "Star Ore."

He took out his compact pickaxe and began working carefully. Each strike sent a ripple of light through the minerals. "Just a little more…"

Then, once again, a deeper rumble came from inside the ravine — heavier than the wolves from before.

Rolien's grip tightened around his weapon. "You've got to be kidding me."

From the shadows emerged a mana lizard, larger than a horse, scales glowing faintly with blue light. Its tongue flickered like lightning as it hissed at him.

"Alright then," Rolien muttered, shifting stance. "Round two."

The beast lunged. Rolien met it halfway, spirit energy bursting from his core in a focused wave. "Hammer Strike—Core Pulse!"

The blow connected to the creature's chest, and a visible pulse rippled through its body. Its internal mana lines flared wildly, overloading its core. The lizard froze, then collapsed with a heavy thud, steam rising off its body.

Rolien exhaled, dropping to a knee. "That… took a lot more than I thought."

After catching his breath, he began mining the Star Ore from the shattered wall. "Worth it though," he murmured, smiling faintly as he pocketed a chunk that still shimmered softly. "You'll make a fine filament."

To be continue..

More Chapters