The dawn of the Mechanical Mystic World was always wrapped in the "click-clack" of rotating gears and the sulfurous stench of arcane energy furnaces. Lin Che stood in the courtyard of Rusty Iron Workshop, hunching his shoulders, with the burning pain from polishing parts the night before still lingering on his fingertips—it was a burn he'd gotten when he'd failed to activate the arcane energy in a basic mechanical component.
"Lin Che! What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and deliver this batch of gears to the forging room!"
A hoarse roar came from the workshop's main entrance. Boss Wang—nicknamed "Scarface" for the hideous scar across his chest—stood on the steps, his greasy work coat unbuttoned. He was the owner of Rusty Iron Workshop and a notorious snob, never hiding his disdain for apprentices with poor arcane talent.
Lin Che quickly replied, "Coming!" and hurried to the corner where the parts were stacked. The pile of gears was half his height, their surfaces still caked with unpolished iron shavings, each one heavy enough to strain his arms. He took a deep breath and tried to channel the arcane energy in his body to wrap around his arms—according to the basic method taught at the workshop, arcane energy could reduce the load. But no matter how hard he tried, only a faint blue glow (the weakest level of arcane energy) flickered around his arms, not even enough to lift the lightest gear.
"Hmph, really a good-for-nothing," sneered Zhang Lei, another apprentice, as he strolled past, effortlessly dragging two crates of parts with arcane energy. "You can't even master basic arcane activation. You're just wasting food here. If I were you, I'd pack my bags and leave long ago."
Li Mo, another apprentice, chimed in, "Yeah, I heard last month's arcane test—he didn't even reach the lowest 'Mortal Rank.' It's already generous of Boss Wang not to kick him out."
Lin Che clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. It wasn't that he hadn't tried—he'd woken up before dawn every day to practice the arcane cultivation method—but the arcane energy in his body was like stagnant water. No matter how he urged it, it only rippled faintly. He'd asked Boss Wang about it once, and the only reply he'd gotten was, "You're born with a useless vein. Don't waste your time."
"Shut up, both of you! Get back to work!"
A clear, cool female voice cut through the taunts. Su Qing walked out of the inner room carrying a wooden basin filled with cleaned tools. She'd been at the workshop two years longer than Lin Che; her arcane talent wasn't top-tier, but she could already repair simple parts independently, making her Boss Wang's "right-hand girl." What was even rarer was that she never joined in mocking Lin Che.
Zhang Lei and Li Mo clicked their tongues in annoyance and walked away. Su Qing stepped up to Lin Che, bent down to help him lift a gear, and whispered, "Don't pay attention to them. Your arcane energy just awakened late—it's not that you're useless."
Lin Che looked up at her, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. Su Qing always kept her hair neatly tied back, with a thin fringe framing her forehead, and her eyes were like obsidian soaked in water, soft yet steady. She was the only person in the workshop who was kind to him. Last time he'd been burned by arcane energy, it was she who'd secretly given him burn ointment.
"But… I still can't lift it," Lin Che said, his voice low.
Su Qing thought for a moment, then pulled a pale green crystal from her pocket. "This is a 'Concentrating Crystal.' It can stabilize your arcane energy temporarily. Try it."
Lin Che took the crystal; a cool sensation spread from his fingertips. Following Su Qing's instructions, he pressed the crystal to his wrist and channeled his arcane energy again. This time, the blue glow around his arms brightened slightly—and to his surprise, he actually lifted a gear!
"It works!" Lin Che looked up in delight, only to see Su Qing quickly tuck the crystal back into her pocket and glance around warily.
"Don't tell anyone," she whispered. "I saved up to buy this. Boss Wang forbids apprentices from using arcane-aiding items. Deliver the gears to the forging room first, and tonight I'll bring you a tool manual for repairing parts. There are some small tricks in it for low-arcane users—maybe they'll help you."
Lin Che nodded heavily, the grievance in his chest fading under this unexpected kindness. Gritting his teeth, he used the arcane energy to assist him again and again, finally delivering all the gears to the forging room before noon.
By the time work ended in the evening, the sky had turned dark. Lin Che lived in a shabby wooden hut in the workshop's backyard, furnished with only a bed and a rickety table. He sat on the edge of the bed, and by the moonlight filtering through the window, he rolled up his left sleeve—on the inside of his wrist was a pale silver birthmark, shaped like a miniature star, which had been there since he could remember.
He brushed his fingertip over the birthmark; for some reason, touching it always calmed him down. Just then, the birthmark suddenly flickered with faint light, like twinkling stars. Lin Che froze—he'd seen the birthmark glow before, but never this clearly. He tried to hold onto that strange feeling, but the light faded quickly, leaving only a faint warmth.
"What on earth are you?" Lin Che murmured. He'd asked the old man who'd adopted him (the old man had passed away last year), but the old man had only said, "It's just a birthmark you were born with. Nothing special." But lately, the birthmark had been glowing more and more often—especially when he practiced arcane cultivation.
Just as he was lost in thought, there was a soft knock on the door. Lin Che quickly pulled his sleeve down and opened it. Su Qing stood outside, holding a thread-bound manual.
"Here," she said, handing him the manual. "Bring it back to me after you read it—don't let Boss Wang find it." She then pulled two wheat cakes from her pocket. "I brought extra. Eat them tonight."
Lin Che took the manual and the cakes, his nose suddenly tingling. He wanted to say "thank you," but the words stuck in his throat.
Su Qing smiled at his awkwardness. "Don't push yourself too hard. Take it slow. Oh, and—" Her expression turned serious. "Try not to walk alone at night recently. I heard… the Zhao family is looking for someone 'with a special mark.' Be careful."
"The Zhao family?" Lin Che's heart skipped a beat. The Zhao family was a powerful clan in this area, controlling the nearby arcane mines. Why would they be looking for someone with a special mark? And could it have something to do with his birthmark?
Su Qing nodded. "I don't know the details—just heard Boss Wang talking about it. Anyway, stay safe." After a few more warnings, she turned and left.
Lin Che sat back at the table, opening the manual. It was filled with dense notes on part repairs, and several pages had diagrams of arcane energy flow, marked "Suitable for Mortal-Rank Arcane Users." He touched the birthmark on his wrist—when Su Qing had mentioned the "special mark," the birthmark had felt slightly warm again.
He looked out at the dark night sky, a premonition stirring in his chest—his quiet life as an apprentice was probably about to end. And that mysterious birthmark might hold a secret he couldn't yet fathom.