Reborn as the Arcane Engineer

The air in the shed thickened.

Kai's hand hovered near the Spark Dagger. The lead boy—cocky, poised, maybe a year older—stood within striking distance. His two lackeys lingered at the door, arms crossed, clearly waiting for a signal.

Outside, snow fell in lazy spirals, peaceful and quiet. Inside, the silence was about to break.

"I'm not looking for trouble," Kai said evenly. "I just want to work. That's all."

"You built that thing, didn't you?" the boy asked, nodding toward the dagger. "It hummed. That's not normal. You playing with spirit magic?"

Kai didn't answer.

The boy stepped forward, brushing a finger along the edge of the blade.

"Looks like junk. But it's... vibrating. Is it dangerous?"

"Touch it again," Kai said flatly, "and you'll find out."

One of the others—taller, lanky, wearing fur-trimmed gloves—laughed. "He talks big for someone who couldn't walk three days ago."

Kai smiled thinly. "You're welcome to test my range."

The boy's eyes narrowed.

Then, without warning, he lunged.

Kai was ready.

He grabbed the Spark Dagger and stepped back, angling the weapon low. The boy's punch grazed his shoulder, but momentum sent him stumbling past. Kai pivoted and raised the blade.

[System Tip: First Combat Test Active

Strike Zone: Chest or Arm – Ideal for non-lethal shock

Charge Status: Stable

Use caution: Blade is crude. Overpressure may cause a backlash.]

Kai darted forward and drove the dagger toward the boy's side—then pulled back just as it made contact.

A jolt of golden light surged from the rune-spine. The boy screamed and dropped to one knee, spasming as the shock discharged across his ribs. His coat smoldered faintly.

"Ugh—what the hell?!"

His friends stared in horror.

Kai's hands shook. Not from fear.

From power.

"This isn't magic," he said coldly. "This is technology. And it's mine."

The boy gritted his teeth and pushed himself up, face twisted with humiliation and pain.

"You—you could've killed me!"

"I didn't," Kai said. "But I could have. And next time you show up with threats, I might not hold back."

The taller lackey stepped forward, but the boy raised a hand.

"No. We're done."

He locked eyes with Kai one last time, seething.

Then he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

Silence returned.

Kai exhaled slowly, pulse hammering in his ears. His dagger—still warm—had survived its first real test. Barely.

He looked down.

A crack now ran along the side of the rune path.

The system chimed.

[Spark Dagger Status: Damaged – Durability 26%]

Recharge Required: Mana Residue (0)

Warning: Conductive integrity at risk. Reforge recommended.

Combat XP: +15

System Level: 4 → 5

[Observation: You chose restraint. Efficient.

> Suggestion: Begin forging Version 0.2 with durability enhancements. Optional Rune Shielding Layer now available.]

Kai set the dagger back on the table and slumped into the nearest chair, wiping sweat from his forehead with a rag.

That wasn't just a fight.

That was a statement.

And the village had heard it.

---

Later that night, a knock came at the workshop door.

Kai opened it, half-expecting a torch-wielding mob.

Instead, he found Madra.

She stepped inside without a word and examined the burned edge of the table, the sparking residue in the air.

"So the rumors are true."

Kai said nothing.

"You built a weapon."

"I defended myself."

She nodded slowly.

"You've stirred the waters. Brayden's father is one of the town elders. You might want to tread lightly."

"I'm not here to fight your politics."

"No," she said. "You're here to build."

She stepped forward and held out something wrapped in cloth.

"A blade core. Forged before the last war. My husband hid it from the quartermaster. If you're going to make tools that hum and spark… better you start with real steel."

Kai took it gently. Heavy. Cold. Tempered.

It gleamed even in the low firelight.

"…Thank you."

Madra turned to leave, but paused at the door.

"Don't let the old blood in this village choke the new roots. You're something different, boy. Just don't burn the forest down."

Then she vanished into the snow.

Kai stood alone in the dark, holding the core blade in his hands.

The Spark Dagger had worked—but barely.

This new steel?

It would hum louder.

It would strike harder.

And soon… it wouldn't be a dagger.

It would be a revolution.