(Arin's POV)
Lion Academy Central Library.
This building was the intellectual heart of the kingdom, a spiral tower rumored to hold more dark secrets than even the King's armory. The first and second floors were filled with senior students frantically working on theses (even during holidays) or young couples looking for quiet corners to date secretly. The noise was loud, the air stuffy with the sweat of stressed teenagers, and the books were nothing more than boring basic introductions.
However, the Third Floor was a completely different world.
This was sacred territory. A forbidden zone that could only be stepped on by Senior Instructors, Lead Researchers, or Class S students. Here, the air smelled of old decaying paper, expensive aromatherapy candles, and a silence revered like in a temple.
I walked up the spiral marble stairs, my boots making a rhythmic clack-clack breaking the silence. A leather bag containing notebooks and "evidence" from the artifact warehouse hung heavily on my shoulder.
Right in front of the gold-plated double doors guarding the Third Floor, a stout guard in a library staff uniform blocked me. He held no weapon, but he held something more annoying: bureaucratic authority.
"Stop right there, Kid," he said without looking at my face, busy polishing his fingernails with a small file. "The Third Floor is not a playground for lost first-year students. Especially Class C students who do not know their place. Go back down, look for your picture books there."
I sighed a long and heavy breath. In this place, uniforms determined everything. Although I had been promoted to Class B administratively, my new uniform was not ready yet. So, I was still wearing the shabby and slightly torn Class C uniform from the fight.
"I have urgent research needs, Sir," I answered politely, trying not to waste energy on unnecessary emotions. "I need access to the Military History and Advanced Mana Theory sections."
The guard finally looked up lazily. His eyes scanned my appearance from top to bottom—slightly messy hair, crumpled uniform, and a faint smell of chemicals from the laboratory still lingering.
"Advanced Theory?" he sneered dismissively. "Listen, Kid. The books in there are written in ancient languages and high-level runes. Your brain will melt just reading the titles. Besides, this access is exclusive. Only for nobles or those with written permission from the Headmistress. Do you have it?"
He spread his arms wide, blocking the way completely. His gaze clearly said: Leave or I call security to drag you out.
I did not answer with words. I reached into my inner coat pocket slowly.
The guard grinned slyly, thinking I was looking for bribe coins. "Save your pocket money. My integrity cannot be bought with copper pennies."
"Oh, does that mean you can sell your integrity for gold coins?" I quipped.
The man's face turned red; perhaps he felt insulted. The guard was about to hit me, but suddenly he gaped.
I pulled my hand out. Between my index and middle fingers, a blackish-silver metal card was clamped. Its surface shone coldly, reflecting the dim corridor magic lamp light. In the center of the card, the Roaring Lion emblem was engraved surrounded by pure gold rune patterns.
Platinum Access Card.
The item given by Selena Rhyms to me along with a pile of other gifts. An item that in authority was equivalent to a direct order from the Headmistress herself.
The guard's eyes widened until they nearly popped out of their sockets. His mouth gaped wide, his mocking grin collapsed instantly replaced by pure horror. He knew the meaning of that card. It was a "VVIP" card usually only held by Dukes or Great Generals when visiting.
"T-that..." his voice choked in his throat, cold sweat immediately flooding his shiny bald forehead.
"Know this card, Sir?" I asked flatly, while tapping the card on his broad chest. "I think this card's value is slightly higher than the copper pennies you imagined. May I pass now? Or should I report to Madam Selena?"
"S-Sure! Please! Forgive my insolence, Young Master! Please enter!"
The man jumped to the side as if stung by high-voltage electricity, bowing ninety degrees while trembling. He opened the double doors wide with frantic movements, inviting me into the holy land.
I stepped inside without looking back. Power was indeed a practical tool. Annoying, but very practical.
The atmosphere inside the Third Floor was truly different and calming. Bookshelves towered up to the ceiling painted with frescoes of past heroes at war. Not the slightest noise. There were only a few senior students sitting quietly reading in the dim corners of the room.
I chose a large oak table in the farthest corner, hidden behind the shadow of dusty history bookshelves. The perfect place to research things that might be considered heresy by laypeople.
I placed my bag carefully, then took out the first object that became my main focus today.
A used syringe tube.
I found this object in the Forbidden Artifact Warehouse during the Demon King's Heart theft incident. The object used by the intruder from the Iron Blood Sect to take the forbidden organ.
At the end of my study table, there was a sophisticated tool usually only used by Restorers or Ancient Manuscript Conservators: A Magic Analysis Microscope.
The object was made of polished brass with pure crystal lenses capable of magnifying objects hundreds of times. In a place like this, the tool was usually used by experts to examine old paper fibers, detect microscopic fungi eating rare books, or verify ink authenticity on forbidden spell scrolls without damaging them.
But today, this library conservation tool would switch functions to become a forensic investigation tool.
I placed the syringe under the microscope lens. Crystal light illuminated the metal and glass surface of the syringe clearly. I turned the lens focus slowly, magnifying its view until the smallest details were visible.
What I saw made my blood run cold.
"Very smooth..." I whispered in disbelief.
The surface of the metal needle was extremely smooth. Too smooth for handmade. If this were handmade by a blacksmith, there would definitely be traces of micro-forging, hammer scratches, or molecular unevenness when viewed this closely. But this was perfectly smooth with consistent precision in every millimeter.
Worse yet, when I activated the mana detection filter on the microscope lens, the needle was pitch black.
Absolutely no mana residue. No traces of metal-shaping magic or Transmutation usually used by Alchemists to make high-precision items.
This object was made without magic at all.
I shifted focus to the base of the needle. There, was a small engraving. Not magic runes, but a row of very small numbers and letters, printed with a consistent and neat font.
[LOT-492-B]
"Production serial number," I mumbled, leaning my back against the hard wooden chair. "This is a mass industrial manufacturing product."
This conclusion changed the threat map drastically. In this kingdom, high-quality goods were synonymous with magic. Only magic could make metal this smooth. But magic goods were expensive and production was limited because the number of mages was small. This was how nobles maintained market prices and their wealth.
Quality Monopoly.
But this needle... this was made by pure machines. Machines that did not need mages. Machines that could print thousands of similar items a day at low cost and uniform quality.
"The Iron Blood Sect buys weapons from a third party," I analyzed internally. "A party mastering forbidden industrial technology. Who are they? The Revolutionaries? Or an untouched underground black market?"
If my enemy had access to cheap and mass logistics, while I and the Kingdom were still stuck on expensive logistics depending on mages... we would lose in a long-term war of attrition.
I put the syringe aside and took a blank sheet of paper.
"I must catch up with this technology," I muttered determinedly.
My antibiotic factory in the forest currently still used pathetic manual methods. Squeezing liquid by hand, filtering with cheesecloth. It was slow, inefficient, and labor-intensive.
I needed machines. But I could not keep relying on mages to make them. I had to make them 'their' way. The way of physics and mechanics.
My hand began to dance on the paper, drawing rough sketches. Not magic circles, but gears, levers, pistons, and tubes.
"The main problem is separating pure antibiotic liquid from plant pulp and Slime mucus," I mumbled while scribbling physics formulas.
I drew a large tube mounted on a vertical rotating shaft. Below it, I drew a high-ratio gear system connected to a foot pedal or simple water wheel.
Mechanical Centrifuge: First Sketch.
"If I can spin this tube at a speed of two thousand revolutions per minute... centrifugal force will throw the heavy pulp to the tube walls, while pure liquid collects in the center."
I smiled satisfied looking at my rough sketch. This was "haram" technology in the eyes of nobles because it did not use mana. But who cared about tradition?
The only problem was, who dared to make gears this fine without magic? Ordinary blacksmiths would report me to the church for making "soulless machines." I needed a crazy craftsman in the Underground District.
Well, after the sketch was done I would ask Karim. That instructor surely knew the way there.
I folded the sketch and kept it in my pocket. Technology research done for now.
Now, time for research for myself.
I stood up and walked to the bookshelf labeled "Aura Theory & Transcendent Physique."
My fingers traced the spines of the thick dusty books. My eyes fell on a thin book with a black leather cover without a clear title, tucked between thick books. I pulled it out.
Iron Manifesto: Evolution of Human AuraAuthor: Unknown.
I brought it back to the table. This book did not discuss knightly honor or codes of ethics. This book discussed the human body as a biological machine that could be upgraded.
[Level 1: Junior Aura - Ignition] Description: Forcing the heart to pump mana into muscle fibers. Body heat increases drastically as a byproduct of energy inefficiency.
I nodded in agreement. This was Explosive Metabolism. My level when using Piston Heart.
[Level 2: Senior Aura - Condensation] Description: Projecting mana out of pores and condensing it around weapons. Manipulating air density into a semi-physical shield.
This was my level when fighting Gordon and the Silver Golem. Density Manipulation. Making the sword heavier and sharper, or making skin as hard as iron.
I turned to the next page. Here it is. The level of that Sect member.
[Level 3: Professional Aura - Disruption/Resonance] Unique Power: Mana Redaction. Description: At this level, Aura vibrates. Professional Knights are capable of vibrating their aura at high frequencies that disrupt mana bond structures in nature. Effect: Professional Aura slashes are capable of 'cutting' magic.
My eyes were fixed on that word: 'High-Frequency Vibration.'
When I slashed Maya's fireball... I did not extinguish it. I vibrated it until its atomic bonds loosened and dispersed.
"This is not magic," I mumbled, a wide smile starting to carve on my face. "This is Pure Wave Physics."
Mages arranged spells like arranging complex card houses. Professional Aura worked like an earthquake shaking down that house of cards. If I could master this perfectly... I could cut any magic thrown at me.
I read the continuation greedily.
[Level 4: Master Aura - Gravity Domain] Description: Physical presence becomes so dense it distorts space around it. Creating tangible physical pressure (intimidation). This was Duke Edwin's level.
[Level 5: Grandmaster Aura - Natural Disaster] Description: Unifying body rhythm with nature's rhythm. One slash can trigger storms or earthquakes. General Douglas's level.
And the last page...
[Level 6: Legend - Singularity] Unique Power: Causality Cut. Description: Transcending laws of physics. Cutting cause to erase effect. Cutting distance, time, and concepts.
My heart beat fast. That childhood image appeared again. The Golden Knight in the middle of a sea of monsters. The way he swung his sword... monsters in the distance split without him taking a step. That was not wind. That was him cutting distance itself.
"Cutting concepts..." I mumbled, goosebumps rising. "Is he... Legend Level?"
I tapped the book with my index finger. "Professional Level. I must master Mana Redaction."
I stood up, stretching stiff muscles, then packed my things and walked out of the library with sure steps.
When passing the main lobby on the first floor, a crowd of students was gathering in front of a giant announcement board.
[EVEN SEMESTER ANNOUNCEMENT - CLASS B]Main Homeroom Teacher: Instructor Adnia.Field Practice Location: The Hollow Deep (New Underground Dungeon - Sector 9)
My eyes narrowed suspiciously. Adnia again? And Underground Dungeon?
A closed, dark, damp place far from legal supervision. The perfect place for an unexpected "accident." Karl and Elian must have planned my grave there neatly.
But they forgot one important thing.
In darkness and narrow spaces, a mad scientist carrying poison and a scalpel was far more dangerous than a knight in shining armor.
"Welcome to semester two," I whispered to the announcement board coldly. "Let's see who will be my experiment subject down there."
I turned and walked out toward the afternoon sun starting to redden on the western horizon.