Reborn as the Arcane Engineer

"If I die in a cave, tell the scanner it was wrong."

The scanner pulsed gently in Kai's palm as he trudged through the snow-choked forest. A dull blue halo flickered inside the lens with each step, pulsing brighter when he turned east.

"Okay," he muttered, crunching over frosted roots, "system says go that way. My gut says 'probably a dumb idea.'" He paused. "We're listening to the system anyway."

[Ley Line Signal Strength: 82%]

[Ambient Mana Saturation: Elevated]

[Proximity Warning: Unstable geological mass detected]

"Unstable geological mass. I'm sure that's fine."

Kai shoved a low branch aside and stepped through a narrow ridge. Ahead, the land dipped sharply, forming a jagged ravine crusted with ice and snow. Trees leaned away from it unnaturally, roots torn and warped like they'd tried to flee.

In the center of the ravine, barely visible beneath twisted brambles and collapsed stone, stood a metal placard.

He brushed the snow away.

Echowind Vein – Sealed by Order of the Baron

Kai blinked. "Wow. That's never ominous."

The scanner flared. A vertical wave of mana streaked up from the earth just beneath his boots.

A ley vein ran right through this mine.

Exactly what he was hoping for.

Unfortunately, so was a ten-ton rockslide.

He crouched beside the blockage and ran his fingers over the stones. Loose, but heavy. Jagged roots coiled through the gaps like frozen tentacles.

He tapped the scanner once more.

[Mana Trace Detected: 3 meters below surface]

[Ore Composition: 68% conductive. Crystal embedded. Extraction recommended.]

"No way I'm walking away from that."

He pulled back, rolled up his sleeves, and opened the blueprint interface.

[NEW CONSTRUCT SELECTED: Basic Pick Tool v0.1]

Tier: I Utility

Purpose: Light excavation, ore extraction

Materials Required:

Ash Wood Shaft (x1)Flat Stone Head (x1)Leather Grip (x1)

Rune Required: [Sigil of Vibration] – Accuracy: 85% minimum

Notes: Prolonged use may cause arm fatigue. Use responsibly.

Kai raised a brow. "Fatigue warning? What am I, OSHA?"

He had noticed after making the scanner he could make some tools, basic for now but sure later he could make better versions. But for now, they will do the job he needed, he hoped.

He scavenged around the ravine, eventually finding a long, narrow branch with a decent flex. He hacked it down and began stripping it smooth using the edge of the Spark Dagger. After a few minutes of work, the wood was relatively straight and splinter-free.

Next, the stone head. He searched until he found a flat, wedge-shaped slate chunk, slightly curved on one end. It looked like it could break his foot. Perfect.

Using vines and cord from his satchel, he bound the head to the shaft.

Now came the rune.

He took out a charcoal stick and gently drew on the Sigil of Vibration—a tight sequence of concentric arcs etched into the flat side of the stone.

He whispered the strokes aloud to stay focused.

"Spiral one... anchor stroke... forked frequency lines... pulse vector... and... done."

[Rune Accuracy: 86.7%]

[Crafting XP: +10]

[Total XP: 70/100]

[Construct Stability: Moderate]

[Activate Basic Pick Tool? Y/N]

"Let's go."

The rune flickered briefly, then vibrated just enough to make his fingers tingle.

He tested it against the rubble—light strikes at first, then harder. The rune pulsed each time, sending micro-vibrations through the stone. Cracks spiderwebbed outward. With each strike, the blockage softened.

After twenty minutes, a narrow gap appeared—dark, damp, and breathing cold air.

He crouched and slid inside.

The moment Kai entered the tunnel, the world changed.

Sound vanished.

Not muffled—gone.

His own breath didn't echo.

His footsteps landed without a trace.

Even the scanner felt muted.

Only a low, periodic thrum in the ground reminded him he was alive.

The air smelled like metal and old; you know, like OLD.

The scanner buzzed again.

[Mana Concentration Spike: 93%]

[Warning: Aberrant signature detected ahead]

[Suggested Action: Retreat or prepare defensive construct]

"Oh good. We're already in the cave and it's telling me to turn back."

Kai gripped his Spark Dagger.

The mine narrowed ahead into a collapsed chamber, lit only by the scanner's soft glow. Embedded in the wall was a jagged, cracked mana crystal the size of a backpack.

It pulsed softly.

Just beneath it sat a pile of metal limbs—arms—twisted and rusted, half-fused to the wall like melted wax.

Kai crept closer.

The scanner pulsed red.

[Magical Construct Fragment Detected]

[Designation: Echo Wraith (Residual)]

[Status: Dormant/Unstable]

[Danger Rating: Moderate]

He whispered, "System. What the hell is a wraith made of scrap?"

[Echo Wraiths are unstable magical afterimages bound to incomplete constructs. Typically formed during magical surges or sealing spells gone wrong.]

[Note: They are attracted to sound. Which this mine suppresses. Purposefully.]

Kai looked at the ceiling.

"Yeah, the sign wasn't joking."

Then the crystal flickered.

And the pile of metal moved.

Sparks leapt from one limb to another, and a warped, skull-like helm twisted toward him.

No eyes.

Just a screech of feedback like a microphone exploding in his skull.

The Echo Wraith lunged.

Kai rolled back and slammed the rune pick against a support beam. A tremor shot through the ceiling—cracks formed in the overhead rock.

The construct flickered through the impact, then reappeared closer—ghostlike and stuttering in and out of physical space.

"Okay, cool trick, hate it!"

He yanked out a chalk stick and scribbled a crude Ignition Rune across the weakest overhead point he could see. Then, with his free hand, he jammed the Spark Dagger into the base of a hanging timber.

The impact sparked—triggering the ignition rune.

With a roar, part of the ceiling came down.

Stone, ice, and mana-sick dust filled the air.

Kai sprinted for the exit.

The creature howled behind him, but the noise didn't echo. It died in the air.

He dove through the tunnel gap, rolled into the snow outside, and lay gasping.

Behind him, the mine was quiet again.

Sealed.

Mostly.

---

Ten minutes later, Kai sat near a tree, brushing dust off the scanner and coughing soot.

He opened the system.

[Data Recovered: Mana Pattern Fragment – Echo Type]

[Blueprint Modifier Unlocked: Ghost Circuitry (Locked – Tier II)]

[Combat XP: +10]

[Total XP: 80 / 100]

[System Level: 5]

[System Note: You survived direct contact with a magical construct. You are now eligible for Tier II Construct Access upon next level.]

Kai wiped his nose on his sleeve.

Then gave a hoarse chuckle.

"Note to self: next time, bring explosives. Or a canary."

He stood, picked up the scanner, and looked out across the glowing ley line.

A mine that eats sound.

A construct born of shattered magic.

And a blueprint system with no upper limit.

He smiled.

"Let's build something better."