Reborn as the Arcane Engineer

"You can't improve what you can't observe." – Liam Vance

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Kai ran his thumb along the edge of the blade core.

Forged steel. Balanced. Elegant compared to the scrap he'd used for the Spark Dagger v0.1. Madra hadn't known exactly what he planned to make with it—but she'd seen enough to believe in what he was building.

Still, this wasn't the time.

He opened the system and brought up the design for Shock Dagger v0.2.

[Blueprint Preview: Shock Dagger v0.2 – Tier I+]

Tempered Blade Core (x1)Conductive Silver Filament (x1)Mana Residue (x1)Insulated Leather Grip (x1)Required Runes:[Sigil of Conduction] (95% Accuracy)[Shock Pulse Glyph] (Rank II – Locked)

"Locked," Kai muttered.

Even with the better blade, he was still missing materials and—more importantly—the runic ability to inscribe Rank II glyphs. The system wouldn't even let him attempt it yet.

He wrapped the core in cloth and slid it onto the top shelf of his workbench.

"Later."

He turned back to the real priority: information.

The scanner blueprint had been teasing him. A device that could detect mana concentrations, ley lines, spell residue—data. With it, he could read the world instead of guessing.

He opened the interface and brought it to the foreground.

[Mana Scanner v0.1] – Tier I Utility Construct

Purpose: Detect ambient mana fields, ley flow, and magical residue

Detection Radius: ~30 meters

Power Source: Single-use mana vial

Required Materials:

Refined Crystal Lens (x1)Copper Wire (x2)Tin Plate or Casing (x2)Leather/Fabric Mount (x1)Mana Residue (x1)

Rune Required: [Sigil of Detection] – 95% accuracy required

[System Message: Refined Crystal Lens missing. Component required to begin construction. Suggested action: locate ruins, mage workshops, or trade hubs.]

Kai leaned back and frowned.

"Right. No lens, no scanner."

He glanced toward the woods outside the village gate, remembering earlier that morning, over a bowl of thick barley stew, Madra had spoken quietly while tending the hearth.

"They say there's an old ruin east of the Hollow—half-buried, forgotten. My husband once called it a mage's workshop, though no one's dared poke around in decades. Animals avoid it. Cold leaks from its stones like breath from a grave."

She hadn't said it as a warning.

She'd said it like she knew Kai would go looking.

And looking he shall.

He grabbed his satchel, packed his tools, and slung the Spark Dagger—repaired and recharged—onto his belt.

Then he left the village behind.

The forest east of East Hollow was deathly quiet in the mid-morning frost. Tree limbs sagged under the weight of snow, and long animal tracks led off into deeper brush. Kai's boots crunched over frozen leaves and shallow drifts. Cold crept into his gloves and cheeks, but the excitement pushed it back.

He'd been walking over an hour when the air changed.

It grew heavy.

Still.

Like stepping underwater.

His system pulsed to life.

[Passive Scan: Ambient Mana Surge Detected]

Signal Origin: 340 meters ahead

Structure Composition: Stone, Copper, Crystal Traces]

Kai's eyes narrowed.

"Got you."

He followed the direction of the signal until he reached a rise in the land. Half-hidden by a collapsed wall of pines was what looked like a sunken dome, its stone roof cracked and caved in. A few shattered pillars stood guard around a moss-drenched entrance. No banners. No symbols. Just forgotten architecture.

"Interesting, part of me feels somewhat compelled to turn around and go back, because every horror movie almost starts just like this… oh well ill be that guy."

He stepped inside.

The temperature dropped ten degrees instantly.

"Just like this, this is how it starts."

Kai shook his head, his breath fogged the air. The place hummed—quietly, like a machine on standby.

Snow and time had chewed away at the floor, but toward the far end of the chamber stood a stone table covered in corroded brass mounts and shattered crystal fragments.

One, however, was still whole.

Perfectly centered.

And glowing faintly.

Kai moved fast, tripping on stones and cracks in the decaying flooring, brushing away debris. The lens was held in a rusted housing that crumbled at his touch.

"Must have been he a long time, well— Thank You who ever left this perfect lens here. I shall use it for mostly good."

He lifted it carefully and turned it in the dim light.

Clear. Smooth. Slight scratches—but the internal lattice looked intact.

[Material Acquired: Refined Crystal Lens – Quality: Acceptable]

Condition: Polishing Recommended]

Then the ground pulsed.

Soft blue lines lit up across the floor—runes, previously invisible, now responding to the removal of the lens.

The symbols weren't basic—they were layered, intersecting at odd angles, woven together like machinery diagrams from Earth.

The ruin came alive.

A faint vibration rose through the floor. Not movement—sound. Low and deep.

Kai backed up a step.

His system flared again.

[Ancient Rune Network Activated]

[Unidentified Layered Glyph Detected – Rank II+]

[Compatibility: 44%]

[Blueprint Modifier Unlocked: Multi-Sigil Layering (Locked – Requires Rune Rank II)]

[Warning: Structure contains residual enchantments. Passive activation only. No control interface present.]

"Noted," Kai muttered.

He knelt and traced a few of the glowing runes into a small notebook he had started to carry around after Madra gave it to him, preserving the lines for future analysis. He could barely begin to guess what they were for.

But someone—long ago—used this place for more than just crafting.

The system chimed one last time.

[Memory Save: Ruin Coordinates Locked]

[Map Node Added: Forgotten Lens Chamber]

"You could have saved it's location? Meaning I didn't have to waste paper and time?"

[You never asked.]

Kai got off his knees with a grunt and a pop, "I need to really start excericing with this new body it's worse than my old one, at least my knees never popped like that just from movement and I was pass 30.."

Kai left quietly, hiking back before the light failed. His fingers ached from cold and tension.

But the crystal lens sat safely in his pouch.

Tonight, he would finish the scanner.

Back in the shed, he lit the heat coil and laid out his tools.

The wires, casing, mount leather, and residue were easy. The lens, now freshly cleaned and polished with light sanding and using wax he found in the kitchen. It sat in the center of his table like a crown jewel.

Kai took a breath and activated the system.

[Begin Construction: Mana Scanner v0.1? Y/N]

"Yes."

He followed each step precisely.

Mounted the crystal lens in the copper ring frame. Soldered (crudely) the tin casing together using a makeshift rune-heated iron spike. Threaded the wires through the channels.

Only one part remained:

The [Sigil of Detection].

Drawn on the underside of the lens bracket. High complexity. 95% required.

Kai took a charcoal-coated chisel and bent over the frame.

The rune was shaped like a triple spiral layered with glyphic arcs. If magic had a frequency, this rune would tune it.

Line by line, stroke by stroke, he engraved it.

It took him twenty minutes.

Then he stepped back.

[Rune Accuracy: 96.1%]

[Scanner Integrity: Stable]

[Deploy Mana Scanner v0.1? Y/N]

"Do it."

The device hummed to life. A soft blue light pulsed from the lens almost blinding him since he was starting right at it. Copper lines shimmered like a fire in winter. A soft ping echoed through the chamber.

Kai raised it and pointed toward the window.

Through the lens, the forest beyond glowed faintly blue—a ley line, curving through the earth like a river of light.

His eyes widened.

He could see it now.

[Construct Complete: Mana Scanner v0.1]

[Crafting XP Gained: +10]

[Current XP: 60 / 100]

[System Level: 5]

[You have created your first environmental detection tool.]

[New Features Unlocked at Level 6: Mapping Grid Overlay, Ley Line Sync, Ambient Fluctuation Tracker]

Kai sat back and stared at the device resting in his hand.

First a dagger.

Now a scanner.

And soon—a network.

This was just the beginning.