"A tool that sees into the future isn't a bad idea," Shun said, "but that's Tech Five. Even if I downgraded it to Tech Two, it would be useless."
He cracked his knuckles, the sharp sound echoing. A small smile tugged at his lips. "On the other hand, an orb that paralyzes people… that I can work with. Let's get started."
"We should tell Ms. Calyn our group first," Edric reminded them.
After informing her, she gave a single grunt of acknowledgment.
"What will the name of your group be?"
"I don't know," Rylan answered immediately.
"Noted." Ms. Calyn wrote something on a slip of paper, folded it neatly, and stored it away. It dissolved into white dust as it entered her inventory. She walked off without another word.
Edric and Shun stared at Rylan with flat expressions.
"Can you blame me?"
Right beside Ms. Calyn, two massive shelves rose with a mechanical hiss. Rows of tools and materials gleamed under the lights, practically begging Shun to seize them and begin building. He held himself back—barely.
"These are all the tools and materials available," she announced. "Each group receives five hundred coins. Spend them wisely. You have one hour."
"What happens if we run out of money before finishing the magiteck?" a student asked.
Ms. Calyn simply smiled. "You will wish the machine had been completed."
An indescribable chill swept through the room, as though the devil herself had taken interest in their souls.
Shun ignored the exchange. He moved through the materials like a man picking cabbages at market, selecting parts with calm efficiency while other groups argued over prices, terrified they would run out of coins before their device could take shape.
His arms were soon stacked high with components, nearly covering his face. Rylan and Edric tried to help carry the load, but Shun refused.
He only released his burden when they reached the workbench Ms. Calyn had prepared. Parts scattered across the table. A few nearly tumbled off the edge; Rylan's hand shot out and stopped them.
"That's… a lot," Rylan said, picking up one piece and turning it over. "Do we even have enough coins left for all this?"
"No. Not even close." Shun's hands were already moving, shaping the skeletal frame with practiced speed.
Rylan processed the words in silence.
"But you're building one right now. What do you mean these parts aren't enough to make a magiteck?"
"I'm not going into details, but these scraps are only enough to make something *barely* a magiteck." Shun kept working. "True magiteck is a symphony of magic and technology. With these parts, there's no symphony—just magic sprinkled on like salt in a dish."
"So it'll mostly be a machine with magical enhancement?" Edric asked.
"Precisely."
"Is there a difference?" Rylan wondered.
"You'll see. The machine we're building will make it clear." Shun glanced at them. "I assume none of you are strangers to the Orb of Wires?"
They nodded.
"I thought we were making something that paralyzes people, not turns them into balls of wire," Rylan muttered.
"The mechanism is essentially the same. Only the output function and al-magath change." Shun looked at Edric. "You want hardware or al-magath?"
Rylan asked, embarrassed, "What is al-magath?"
"Invented by a scholar named Ethenar Magath," Shun explained calmly while working. "She discovered that magic symbols react directly with mathematical formulas. Each symbol behaves differently depending on the equation. She found safe combinations and published them."
Edric pinched his chin. "Al-magath calculations control the magic input—making it as small as possible without failing, but never so large it overwhelms the device."
"Exactly. It must be precise. A single miscalculation and the whole thing implodes." Shun picked up another part, examining it. "These circuits are painfully slow. It's amazing they're still sold."
"Why would she buy cheap parts?" Rylan asked. "I doubt the school is short on money."
"Cheap parts, good parts—it doesn't matter. The hands that build the machine are what decide its worth, not the scraps."
"I'll handle the tech side," Edric said, finally answering Shun's earlier question. "As embarrassing as it is to admit, writing precise al-magath is beyond my current ability."
Shun smiled softly and patted his back. "There's no shame in admitting weakness. I struggle with advanced magic theory and have to consult professors. No human is perfect. I might need your input on the al-magath if I run into trouble."
Edric's expression brightened slightly.
"Looks like we're getting first place," Rylan said with a grin.
"Why? Because we figured out how to use these junks?" Shun shook his head. "Look around. These students are the best from their families. They might seem lazy about magiteck, but they're far better than street mechanics. They know what we know."
"Well, that doesn't matter, right?" Rylan said. "We have you."
"What about me?" Edric asked with mock contempt.
"Right, and you! With both of you, we might get top marks and earn a lot of points. I could finally buy that Aether Dragonfly tooth."
"Let's calm those expectations a little," Shun said, stepping aside so Edric could continue work on the frame. He observed it for a moment, then placed his hands on the structure.
"What should I do?" Rylan asked, feeling useless.
"Transform into a lifeform with high intelligence and help us."
"I don't have any. Most highly intelligent lifeforms live in places that would kill me instantly… or kill me slowly."
"Then be our assistant."
Rylan's face brightened. "What's the job?"
"Bring us tools and materials when we ask."
His face fell. "So… I'm just a slave, then."
The room gradually fell into focused silence. The only sounds were the clank of metal, the screech of cutting tools, and the crisp scratch of students etching al-magath onto special paper.
"Time's up," Ms. Calyn declared. "Stop whatever you are doing."
Shun made one final adjustment. The corners of his mouth lifted as he admired the finished device: a steel orb with two large openings on opposite sides and a smaller orb inside, from which a length of rope slightly protruded. It had turned out better than expected.
Ms. Calyn walked slowly between the groups, observing each creation. Students trembled under the weight of her presence as she passed.
When she returned to the front, the ground split open with a mechanical click. A pillar rose, carrying a sealed box with a narrow slot just wide enough for a hand.
"Leaders, come forth." She pointed to the front group. A black-haired girl approached the box.
"Put your hand in and take one piece of paper. Do not open it until I say so, or I will deduct merit points."
She obeyed. Ms. Calyn then pointed to other groups at random. Only four groups were called. Shun's trio had named him leader. With no choice, he accepted.
He unfolded the paper. The word *Genesis* stared back at him.
The trio frowned. Above their own table, the name *I Don't Know* now floated clearly.
Edric and Shun turned to Rylan.
"You guys are still mad?" Rylan asked.
"Please swap your machine with the group listed on the paper."
"What? Why would we swap what we created with pride?" one student protested.
Ms. Calyn simply stared at him. The boy stiffened and looked away.
With heavy hearts, the students exchanged the devices they had built with care.
"Now," Ms. Calyn tapped the ground. The white room transformed into a lush wilderness filled with vibrant trees. A fresh breeze filled their lungs, as though they had truly been transported elsewhere. "Fight using the machine you received."
Students looked at each other in confusion and hesitation. Too much was happening at once.
Without warning, the red-haired girl from Genesis unleashed a volley of fiery arrows at Shun's group. They streaked forward like bullets.
Shun reacted a fraction too late—until an unseen wind twisted the flaming serpents mid-flight. They slammed into a distant boulder, charring it black before it crumbled.
The girl shifted her gaze. A humanoid bird with wings spanning two meters hovered nearby, one wingtip nearly brushing the ground.
As if her attack had been a signal, the other groups launched their own assaults. The terrain shifted again for each pair, invisible barriers rising to prevent interference.
"A surprise attack?" the humanoid bird snickered. "Isn't that a privilege reserved for the weak?"
"The power to shapeshift into any form with only a DNA sample doesn't seem very weak to me," the red-haired girl replied.
"What an honor to be praised by you, Emily Crimson."
Shun snapped his fingers. A mana barrier rose around them, sealing sound and preventing their words from leaking.
"We're against the prima and donna of the school," Shun said. "Any plans?"
"Why not surrender?" Rylan suggested, slowly uncurling his fingers. "They have an awakened Saint, the strongest pyrokinesis user in school, a damn healer, a skilled marksman, and a paladin. And what do we have? Identity crisis," he pointed at himself, "gun," at Edric, "and sword," at Shun.
"Yeah, but we have a piece of tech they created," Shun replied. "Aren't you curious what it does?"
"Whoever loses this battle will have their merit points deducted," Ms. Calyn's voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Seriously?" Rylan looked at Shun in panic. "We have to win this. If I lose any more merit points, I'll get expelled and join the war three years early!"
"Don't worry. My points and Edric's aren't much different from yours," Shun reassured him. "But hey—if we lose, at least we'll go together."
"Absolutely not!" Rylan yelled. "I haven't lost my virginity yet!"