The news of a "plumbing accident" in the Old Library basement was accepted with the usual apathy of the Academy's administration. To them, the lower levels were just drafty stone; to me, they were the front lines of a molecular war.
However, the System wasn't letting me rest. The detection of a second "Anomaly"—another reincarnator—felt like a spike in a data set that was supposed to be a flat line. I needed more processing power and a controlled environment. I needed the Alchemy Club.
[STATUS UPDATE: MID-DAY SYNC]
Current Objective: Secure "Sector 4-B" (The Private Lab).
Environmental Threat: Rival Reincarnator (Distance: 1.2km - Knight's Training Grounds).
Category Value Growth/Notes
Level 15 [Exp: 1050/1500]
Intelligence 58 +2 (Analyzing Parallel Soul Signals)
Strength 12 Sub-Optimal for Knight-Tier Encounters
Mana (MP) 950/950 Purity: 1.05%
Logic Engine Python v3.12 (Aetheric) Allows for "If-Then" Scripting of Spells.
"You're staring at the wall again, Cyrus," Elara said, leaning against the doorframe of the empty classroom I had claimed for "self-study." She was looking at me with that same predatory curiosity. "The Silence Bond is humming in my veins. You're thinking about that 'Rival,' aren't you?"
"I'm thinking about momentum," I replied, not turning around. "In my world, \vec{p} = m\vec{v}. Mass times velocity. If someone has a 'Combat System' and they're building up mass in the Knight's Academy, I need to make sure my 'Velocity'—my progress—is high enough that they can't catch me."
"Then you should see him for yourself," she suggested. "The Knight's Academy is holding their 'Opening Spar' today. Everyone will be there."
The Knight's Academy was the polar opposite of our marble halls. It was all grit, sweat, and the clang of steel. As we stood on the observation deck, my [Anomaly Detection] began to scream. A red pulse flickered in my peripheral vision, centering on a tall, black-haired boy in the center of the sparring ring.
He wasn't using a sword. He was holding a heavy iron spear, and his movements weren't the fluid, "dance-like" motions of this world's nobles. They were efficient. Tactical. Modern.
[Target Identified: Kaelen Thorne (Pseudo-Identity)]
Soul Origin: Earth (Estimated)
System Class: [The Warmaster's Engine]
Primary Stat: Strength / Kinetic Impact.
Kaelen moved like a professional MMA fighter trapped in a knight's body. He didn't wait for his opponent to "honorably" strike; he closed the distance with a burst of speed that defied the laws of friction. He caught a senior student's blade with the shaft of his spear and delivered a leg sweep that sent the upperclassman face-first into the dirt.
"He's not using mana," Elara whispered, her eyes widening. "He's... he's just moving better."
"He's not just moving," I corrected, my eyes narrowed as I activated [Molecular Forensics]. "He's using his System to optimize his muscle fiber contractions. He's overclocking his nervous system."
As if he felt my gaze, Kaelen looked up. His eyes weren't amethyst or gold like the nobles here; they were a sharp, digital blue. He looked directly at the observation deck, bypassed the Princess, and locked eyes with me.
A notification appeared on my screen, but it wasn't from my own System. It was a [Local Area Ping].
[INCOMING MESSAGE]
From: 'The Warmaster'
Message: "A Chemist? Really? In a world of magic, you chose to play with test tubes? Don't get in my way, Lab Rat. I'm here to conquer this 'Game,' not analyze it."
I felt a surge of cold irritation. This guy was a "Speed-runner"—someone who saw this world as a collection of stats to be exploited, whereas I saw it as a complex biological and chemical ecosystem to be preserved.
"He just insulted my profession," I muttered.
"What?" Elara asked.
"Nothing." I turned away from the ring. "I need that lab, Elara. Right now. If he's going to 'Conquer' the world, I'm going to make sure the world's 'Physical Constants' don't cooperate with him."
[NEW MISSION: DATA OVERRIDE]
Goal: Sabotage the Knight's Academy's "Power-Up" Elixirs.
Method: Replace their standard stimulants with a "Delayed-Release Inertia Catalyst."
Reward: +1000 EXP, Unlock [Chemical Logic Gates].
"Cyrus, wait!" Elara called out. "Where are you going?"
"To the Alchemy Club," I said, my voice cold. "It's time to show the 'Warmaster' that even the strongest gear can be seized up by a single drop of the right acid."