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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/No_Marzipan_1230 on 2024-07-02 18:01:57+00:00.

Synopsis:

An engineer from Earth blends science and magic to achieve greatness in another world where skills and levels reign supreme.

Ethan was just a plain old engineer, but everything changed when he was reborn into a world of skills, levels, and magic. With his advanced knowledge far ahead of the time period he finds himself in, this new reincarnated life will be much different than his last, especially because he can construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct runes—something no one else can do.

But with royal politics, looming tax collectors, a mountain of debt, dungeon incursions, cults, and hostile fantasy races mixing together into a cocktail of bullshit that threatens to bury his dreams; Ethan must bridge the gap between steel and sorcery to grow stronger.

—

What to Expect:

- Weak to very strong progression with a Sword & Magic MC that kicks a whole lotta ass.

- Fast pacing. A balance of action galore, politics, kingdom building, and slow-burn runecrafting.

- Fun, satisfying moments. An extra shot of happiness when reading. Hardcore wish fulfillment. Hyper competent MC.

- MC will trigger an industrial revolution, abolish slavery, revolutionize magic, modernize agriculture, communication, commerce, textile production, education, transportation, sanitation, weapons manufacturing, leisure & entertainment, and medicine.

- Dark truths of a medieval-esque society going under change.

Join my Discord Server to have chat, bother me, ask me questions, or just genuine fun really - https://discord.gg/d57v5upvcx

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Chapter 21

The ornately carved doors of Ethan’s private meeting room shut behind Derrick just as Roland bowed to Ethan and left. “Greetings, my lord,” Derrick said. “It’s time for our first class.”

Derrick was a man with a salt-and-pepper beard that spoke of years spent in the unforgiving elements.

“Apologies for the delay, my lord,” Derrick said, inclining his head in a gesture of respect.

Ethan offered a curt nod. “No worries. Take a seat.”

Derrick settled into the plush chair opposite him, a sigh escaping his lips as he placed a leather satchel on the table. The silence stretched for a moment, then Ethan inquired, “What took you so long?”

“There were unforeseen delays gathering some of the prerequisites—acquiring some of the necessary components proved more time-consuming than anticipated.”

Ethan’s brow quirked slightly. “Components? Prerequisites? Care to elaborate?”

“Ah, that, my lord, is something you’ll have to wait and see. Part of the surprise.”

“Very well,” Ethan’s lips twitched in amusement. “I’ll trust your judgment.”

Derrick bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Rest assured, I haven’t taken it lightly.” He reached into the satchel slung across his shoulder and withdrew a small, nondescript pouch. It bulged with something soft and uneven. Placing it carefully on the table, he untied the leather cord that held it shut.

A pungent aroma filled the room, a strange mixture of damp earth, something metallic, and a hint of citrus. Ethan wrinkled his nose slightly.

“Moonfern spores, crushed wolfsbane…” Derrick murmured, carefully scooping out a pinch of a powdery substance with his calloused fingers. “And a dash of Nightshade, courtesy of that old crone up east. Nasty woman, but her price was fair.”

“Who?”

“Aye,” Derrick waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t mind my rambles. She’s an old friend.”

Ethan kept silent, watching with fascination as Derrick laid out the various ingredients on the table—a collection of roots twisted into different shapes, vials filled with shimmering liquids of an unnatural hue, and a smooth, obsidian pebble that pulsed faintly with an inner light.

“What is all this for?” Ethan asked.

“A ritual. And a potion. Patience, my lord, I will explain everything. It’s taken me quite some time and money to get all the components and ingredients. A bit of legwork. Some favors, too. Ones I’m going to have to return someday. Why do you think I did that? It’s because if I’ve taken a student, I’m going to do my best to teach him. Or her. So, some patience on your side would be appreciated.”

Ethan shrugged. “Thank you for going through the trouble, I suppose.”

“Aye, no need. No need.” Derrick waved his hand with a chuckle. “Anyhow. I see you have the [Mage] Class, already. However, I do not know your level of knowledge, yet. Tell me, my lord, what do you know about [Mages]?”

“Oh…” Ethan took a moment to collect his thoughts, scratching his chin with his brows furrowed. Need to act dumb. I know some stuff but I’m definitely lacking a huge chunk of knowledge, I need Derrick to think I’m some naïve clueless noble kid that just got a Class somehow. “Well, they’re, uh, magic users, obviously. They shoot fireballs and stuff, right?” He gestured vaguely with his hand, mimicking a throwing motion. Gosh I must look dumb. But the thing was, Ethan was genuinely clueless.

The book he’d gotten had given him general ideas about the world—he’d discovered that the world acted on LitRPG mechanics and it even had the screens and stuff, but Ethan had no clue what each Class’s specifics were… at all. So, right now, he’d decided to play it *dumb—*to act extremely naïve about the world so that Derrick would give an in-depth explanation.

After all, Ethan didn’t want to be arrogant and assume he knew everything—Ethan lacked knowledge Derrick might even consider ‘beneath a beginner’ level of knowledge. So, Ethan swallowed his pride, and acted dumb.

Sure enough, Derrick chuckled at his answer, a low rumbling sound that spiraled into a full-blown laugh. “That reminds me of my early days, haa, good ol’ days.” Shaking his head, he looked at Ethan. “Fireballs, aye, that’s one way to put it. Though, it’s a bit more nuanced than that. So, you know they use mana, but how do you think they… generate it?”

“I dunno, maybe they have like, a magic well inside them that fills up over time? Then they can unleash it as a spell?”

“A magic well? Interesting concept. There certainly is a source, a well of energy [Mages] tap into. But it’s not quite how they generate mana, is it? It’s where they store it, sure. But not generate.”

Ethan tapped his finger on the table. “Okay, so it’s like mana crystals. Like a battery? The mana well, I mean.”

Derrick stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Sort of, yes. And it’s not called a mana well, but a mana pool. But, I suppose, a mana well wouldn’t be a wrong descriptor either. Regardless, the mana well’s not the sole source.”

“Yeah, they can also use mana crystals.”

“Yes. However, there are mages who wouldn’t touch a crystal their entire lives. Think broader, Lord Theodore. What do you think fuels all of existence? What allows plants to grow, fires to burn?”

Ethan stopped, pondering. “Wait, are you saying magic is like… a natural force? Like gravity or wind?”

“An excellent leap, my lord! Magic—mana—is indeed a fundamental force that’s woven into the very fabric of reality. Along some other classes, [Mages] are simply those who can tap into it, manipulate it to their will. But that is, again, not how they generate mana, is it?”

Ethan leaned forward; his voice filled with curiosity. “So how do they do it? Do they need to learn special Skills, Spells? Chants or Incantations? Runes?”

Derrick grinned. “There’s some truth to that, yes. Regardless, generating mana is about understanding, about forming a Connection with this energy we call mana. It’s like breathing but for the soul. And the “air” the soul breathes is mana. You know how mana is generated—”

“Question.”

“—Oh, go on.”

“You said the soul breathes mana from somewhere, it’s not exactly generating mana, is it?”

“That is an excellent question, my lord. You see, the concept of ‘generating’ mana is a simplification. It’s more like… drawing upon a vast, limitless reservoir.” Derrick smiled bitterly. “No matter what the [Mages] throughout history may have tried, generating mana has proved to be impossible. We simply take it. But it has become sort of a norm to call it generating mana instead of taking it. Weird, I know.”

Ethan’s brows furrowed in thought. “A reservoir, huh? So, where exactly is this reservoir?”

“Everywhere and nowhere all at once, my lord. Mana permeates the very world around us, coursing through the earth, the wind, even the living things that inhabit it. It permeates everything, flows through all living things. Think of it like a vast ocean, and we, the mages, are merely vessels capable of dipping our cups into it. But at the same time, it does not permeate anything. It’s quite strange.”

So, it’s superimposed onto the world?

“So, [Mages] are basically like sponges, soaking up this mana?”

“Not quite. Sponges passively absorb water but cannot do so actively, but [Mages] can not only take it passively—albeit very inefficient in practice—they can also actively tap into the flow of mana. They learn to sense it, to understand its currents and eddies. It’s delicate, one that requires focus, discipline, and a deep connection to the world around th…

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