Later that night, Jake sat alone by the cooling forge and dived deep into the System's hidden layers. He navigated the interface, reading the fine print of the Technological Disciplines.
He realized with a jolt that the System was more than a vending machine for blueprints. As he invested points into Mechanical or Smithy, it wasn't just "unlocking" a recipe. It was literally rewriting his brain. He wasn't just remembering how to build a steam engine; he was beginning to understand the fluid dynamics and thermal physics behind it on an instinctual level.
[NEW FEATURE UNLOCKED: INNOVATION]Successful creation of non-system items will now generate new Schematics based on your current expertise.
But then, he found it—the Free Point.
The System explained that while his primary path was Technology, these rare points allowed him to bridge the gap. He could gain the "Knowledge of Expertise" in Magickal Colleges. He wouldn't cast spells like a wizard—he was too grounded in physics for that—but he could understand the mechanics of Chaos. He could become a Technologist who teaches Mages, explaining their own power to them through the lens of scientific theory.
A grin spread across Jake's soot-stained face. He didn't just want to build a better sword; he wanted to build a new world.
"I need more points," he whispered. "I need to grind."
(Next day)
The Aen Saevherne—the Elven Sages—stood back, their ancient eyes narrowed. They didn't need a lecture on physics to understand that Jake's Balanced Sword was "wrong." To them, the blade felt like a hole in the world, a pocket of absolute, stubborn Order that refused to vibrate with the natural Chaos of the forest. They heeded Jake's warning instantly, sensing the violent "static" the metal emitted.
The younger Aen Seidhe mages, however, possessed more arrogance than wisdom. To them, a sword was just a vessel for Power.
"A human smithing a blade this fine? It begs for the touch of the stars," one mage declared, ignoring Jake's protests. He channeled a stream of raw magical energy, intending to bind a "Striking" enchantment to the steel.
The reaction was instantaneous and violent.
Magic, by its nature, bends reality. The Balanced Sword, forged with the mathematical perfection of the Technological Path, refused to bend. The two forces collided like a high-speed train hitting a mountain. A blinding flash of blue light erupted, followed by a concussive explosion that shattered the windows of the workshop and sent the mage sprawling across the stone floor, his robes singed and his focus-crystal cracked.
Another elf, a warrior with a minor Source of magic in his blood, grabbed the hilt to prove Jake wrong. He screamed as a jolt of Technological Aptitude backlash surged up his arm. To those with low magic, the sword felt like holding a live electric wire; to those with high magic, the sword itself began to groan, its molecular bonds screaming as the mage's aura warped the metal, causing the Durability to drop visibly.
The Aen Saevherne who witnessed the chaos collectively facepalmed.
"Idiots! Children playing with lightning!" the eldest Sage roared, his voice echoing through the glade as he delivered a blistering scolding. "The boy told you it was a tool of logic! You tried to pour wine into a stone and wondered why the glass broke!"
Jake watched the aftermath, leaning against a soot-covered pillar. He wasn't angry; he was observing. He pulled up his System Interface and watched his Experience Bar tick upward from the "Social Conflict" and "Demonstration of Power."
[LEVEL UP: 2][LEVEL UP: 3]
"Right," Jake muttered, his eyes glowing with the reflection of the forge. "Experiment confirmed. Magic and Tech in this world don't just dislike each other—they're allergic."
With his new Character Points, Jake looked at his screen. He needed to be more than a blacksmith. He needed to be a Technological Savant.
He dumped his points into the Mechanical and Electricity disciplines. Instantly, his mind was flooded with the concepts of Tesla Coils and Steam Pistons. But then, he hovered over the Free Point.
He looked at the singed, confused elven mages. If he used the Free Point to understand their "Chaos," he wouldn't be a wizard—he would be their Professor. He could teach them that magic isn't a "feeling," but a variable in an equation they were too lazy to solve.
Jake is ready to grind. To earn more points and materials, he needs a project that proves his worth to the entire settlement.
That's why he used his free points on magic college section of the system, he decided to teach magic to sages and mages.
(A few moment later)
The Aen Saevherne watched in stunned silence as Jake did the impossible: he explained the "Chaos" using the cold, hard logic of the Technological Path. By spending his Free Points on the Necromantic White and Necromantic Black colleges, Jake didn't become a dark wizard—he became a Biological Engineer.
"Magic is not a prayer," Jake told the gathered elves, his voice echoing in the stone hall. "It is a biological frequency. Your souls and bodies are conduits. If you treat them like pipes, you can control the flow."
He drew two distinct diagrams on the floor using charcoal:
Necromantic White (The Sacred Variant): Jake explained this as the "Optimization of Vitality." He taught the Sages how to use magic to reinforce cellular bonds, effectively curing wounds and Resurrecting the fallen by repairing the physical vessel before the spark of life dissipated. The Sages, who cherished harmony, clung to this "Holy" science with reverence.
Necromantic Black (The Forbidden Variant): This, Jake explained, was the "Decomposition of Energy." He showed the younger, more aggressive mages how to force the "conduit" to reverse, Harm-ing or withering living tissue by accelerating decay.
The mages, hungry for power, greedily absorbed both. The Sages watched with a mix of awe and terror as Jake—a boy who couldn't cast a spark himself—systematically deconstructed the greatest mysteries of life and death.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Knowledge Shared: Necromantic Colleges 1-5.
Role Evolved: You are now a Technological Professor.
XP Gained: +5,000 (Massive Teaching Bonus)
LEVEL UP: 5, 6, 7
Jake felt his mind expand. Every level-up didn't just give him points; it gave him Clarity. He could see the world now as a series of interlocking gears, both physical and ethereal. He used his new Character Points to max out Mechanical and Gunsmithy.
The "Gear of Fate" was now a roaring engine.