Chapter 3: Stumbling Upon My Doppelganger

Here one I edited. I write like 12k+ words and hadn't separate them. I'll try find free time to edit those and post em.

Next day, I woke up with back pain and severe chill due to being very early in the morning. The sky is still dark but I am sure it's morning due to the special features of Magic Circuit, which is basically a mini computer inside my body that has a very accurate biological clock.

I start my morning with a mana exercise that I devised based on cultivation novels and comics. I release my mana from my Magic Circuit and use them to form a ball between my palms. Then I manipulate them to flow back into my body and replenish the released mana. This method increases both my [Mana Manipulation] and [Magic Circuit]. Then when there is excess mana regenerated, I will spread it all over my body through [Reinforcement] to not let any mana to be wasted. I usually practice this until the sun is fully raised before I do anything else.

About two hours later, both [Mana Manipulation] and [Magic Circuit] increased by a level while [Reinforcement] and [Body Strengthening] only had their proficiency increased.

Closing the notifications, I turn my attention to magecraft or at least how similar this world's magic and Fateverse magecraft work. They both need the caster to produce a formula for the spell. For example, Fire is fuel + oxygen + ignition. The air is already filled with oxygen which leaves fuel and ignition to be the missing part and the caster will use mana to substitute the missing components to produce a fire.

The intensity of the fire then would be increasing the value of fuel since oxygen is plenty and ignition is a one time need or rather, became a constant value. Thus, increasing mana that substitutes fuel will turn a small fire into a fireball or greater.

Though fire is a rather simple one as other basic elements such as Fire, Wind, Water and Earth. For a more advanced one like electricity, there are multiple ways to achieve this but the simplest way would be manipulating negative charges of electrons all around me to generate electricity and later direct it to a target.

Sadly these magecraft I perform doesn't count as ability.

Though I discovered if I have decent knowledge in science, I can entirely skip complicated formulas. For example, fire. Instead of fuel + oxygen + ignition. I can just use mana to simulate the activities of molecules to create friction which results with heat that becomes fire or mix wind and to create lightning like how lightning is produced.

As a result, I thought of nuclear fusion. The same thing that the sun uses to produce energy and the height of power humans have produced. The simple term to it is two hydrogen atoms collide to fuse into helium and release huge amounts of energy. The material, hydrogen, is abundantly found in water as water is one hydrogen and two oxygen atoms, hence H2O.

When I tried to experiment on this idea. Manages to do it on a small scale but it literally knocks me off cold from severe mana drain.

One more thing to remember, never let my mana drop below zero. My vitality or HP will be cannibalized and converted into mana and I can assure the experience is not pleasant at all. It feels like a scalpel is cutting down my body before a burning sensation runs through my nerve as my flesh is devoured to convert into mana.

Though the experiment is a success at the very least.

[Support Class unlocked: Technomagi]

[Technomagi]

A rather peculiar branch of magi that instead of delving into the Mystery, they instead choose to integrate magecraft with science. Which is considered heretical among their peers for quickening the degradation of Mystery. Yet this particular branch of magecraft suffered no consequences of Mystery degradation which made them pay no heed to their peers.

+20% INT

+20% WIS

+100% Effectiveness of related abilities

[Congratulations for unlocking a new function (Support Class). Player can now equip two Classes, one Main Class and another is Support Class.]

[Do you want to equip Technomagi (Support Class)?]

"Yes"

Of course yes. It's free stats! Of course I want to.

I woke up from my blackout to this screen and made me forget about the painful experience I was suffering a moment ago.

Though, enough cooping in this abandoned house, I need to go out and get some fresh air. I intend to grab a late breakfast and don't think I can stomach the bland and tough as leather rations anymore. For that, I set off to the cafe that I went to with Viktor yesterday since that is the only shop I am familiar with.

———

After a quick round of pickpocketing, I acquired some funds to change my outfit. At least not eye catchy as my ragged clothing that I wear before. Normal clothes and the cheapest I could get along with a cloak to hide my appearance. I made a quick enchantment that passively and subtly made people unconsciously turn their attention away from me unless I am interacting with them.

Only after that I went back to the cafe but entered through the back door just like before.

"Welcome, dear customer. What can I get for you today?" The same man in a butler-like outfit greeted me with a polite smile and his hand pointed me to an empty seat at the secluded corner of the cafe. "We have a special limited time offer on the menu today because a new shipment of ingredients just arrived at the port from the Dragon Empery. I would recommend this special tea that goes well with our best selling pastry."

"I'll go with that, then." I answered while nodding. But my thoughts are on another topic entirely.

Isn't the Empire should be low on materials, especially foods, right now that they are busy at war? Not to mention both seas access by the Empire is currently a warzone or at least a disputed area? How the heck did the shipment arrive in one piece? Not to mention Dragon Empery. Definitely China of this world shouldn't exist because the Russy Federation should own that territory belonging to my previous world China and Dragon Empery sound familiar…

Feeling the growing number of unanswered questions, I shut off my brain and use my idle time waiting for food to think about improving my magecraft instead.

About 10 minutes later, my order arrived. The food is great, I don't know how to rate it because my staple food is used to stuff like cup noodles, egg on rice and other simple meals. Very rarely do I get to taste delicious food in my previous world. I quietly ate my food while occasionally looking around the cafe and found a few other customers reading newspapers with coffee and most of them were older people or female. The younger men were definitely being conscripted into the army due to the ongoing war.

Suddenly the bell on the cafe's door rang and I felt the shift of atmosphere in the cafe. I take a look at the cause of the shift in atmosphere and it's a girl around this body's age. The blond hair and military uniform of the Imperial military. It's Tanya, the main character of this world. Then another ring of bell and another man in a suit walked in and immediately looked around for someone. I quickly turn away my head to stop looking at their direction.

I didn't expect to find her this quickly. Not to mention, in an unprepared state.

I quickly finish my meal and put the money on the table in preparation to leave. But they sat on the table where I must pass through to leave the cafe. My luck isn't great… If only I can put unallocated points on my LUK stat.

Regardless, I stand from my seat and quickly leave while Tanya still has a newspaper over her face and the man with her is focused on her.

I calmly walk past them to avoid suspicion and catch their attention by acting normal. I walk toward the door, hoping my enchantment on the cloak will do its job properly. But to my worst luck, I was stopped by a voice directed to me.

"Hey you, stop. According to article 17 of the Imperial laws, usage of magic on public spaces and unauthorized locations unless a law enforcement member or with special order from his Imperial Majesty is against the law. Present your identification or order unless you want to be arrested." A feminine but stern voice spoked behind me and I could feel the attention of everyone in the cafe focused on me.

Shit shit shit! In my head, I already went into full panic mode. My fight or flight response is literally blaring and causes blood rushing into my head, thinking running is my only option considering Tanya is vastly superior compared to me.

"Hmn, now you mentioned it. The magic energy signature is very subtle. I couldn't notice it unless I was really focused." The man with Tanya said and raised from his seat.

"As Lieutenant Tanya said, please present your identification or order unless you want to be arrested for breaking the Imperial laws."

Fuck, if I would to be captured and identifed as mage. I would be conscripted as mage and wouldn't have time at all to practice my own magecraft and worst, get killed in the frontline. Even if I would have access to spells taught to every mage, the trade off is simply too lackluster.

Thus I activate my Magic Circuit with an image of a loaded pistol in my hand, aiming at my own head and pulling the trigger. My Magic Circuit went full power and glowing lines resembling circuits appeared all over my body before I used [Reinforcement] to enhance my physique and run.

"Captain Ugar! Quickly inform the law enforcement and the military, a suspected spy is identified. I will chase the suspect." Tanya said before taking out her Operation Orb, Elinium Type-97 instead of Elinium Type-95. She left before Captain Ugar could even give his response.

———

Outside the cafe, on the street. I purposely ran into a big crowd before turning off my Magic Circuit hoping to throw off my pursuer and enter a smaller alley. I did this multiple times until I am sure that no one is chasing me anymore.

When I reached back to the abandoned house, only then I made a sigh of relief and entered the safety of my temporary abode.

"Well, I waited long enough for you to arrive."

I immediately halted my step and lift my head to see Tanya with a bored face, rummage through my belongings and suddenly a group of ten men in similar uniform as Tanya appeared from thin air.

"What an impressive collection of stuff you have here. Most are Empire issued equipment." Tanya said while looking at the special markings on the rifle, bullets and pistol. "Though I found nothing that indicates you are a spy working for other nations."

"So, who are you exactly? Hmn?" Tanya said after dropping the pistol into the pile of stuff. She signals the soldier behind me to lift open my cloak.

Fuck! What to do? What to do? I panicked and my nervousness was sensed by her which made a subtle smirk slip into her face.

I grit my teeth and activate my Magic Circuit before using [Gradation Air] to create few stick grenades but due to my low level on the ability, the grenades were duds, a hollow construct with appearance only but enough to throw them off guard and I scatter it on the floor and use the chance to grab the bayonet hidden on my body and grab Tanya as hostage with the bayonet on her neck. As a precaution, I also yanked off the Operation Orb from her neck with my reinforced arm.

The soldiers that finally noticed the grenades were fake and saw the Lieutenant became a hostage in my arms.

"Any move and I'll slit her throat." I said with seething anger because having her as hostage didn't change much of my situation but bought me some leverage since behind me was a wall and nowhere to escape to.

If she were some random soldier, I doubt they would care much but she is the hero of the Empire, a decorated Silver Wing medal recipient and a powerful mage. A soldier that is worth a thousand.

"Back off to the wall." I tried to make the soldiers back off to a wall while putting more pressure on the bayonet when they didn't comply.

The soldiers soon did as I ordered and backed off to a side and left the door unobstructed. But strangely, Tanya was calmly and silently playing her role as hostage. I could see her expression from my position but she isn't resisting at all unlike how she is usually portrayed. I already made sure to strip her off the Operation Orb and she couldn't use any magic for now. She is nothing more than a normal girl without her magic that is the source of her strength.

With Tanya in my arm and a bayonet on the other hand pressing down her neck, I retreated slowly out of the door while keeping an eye on the soldiers in case they tried anything suspicious. Even if I lost my belongings for now, it isn't an unrecoverable loss.

Once I stepped out of the door, I immediately pushed her out of my grip and turned to the opposite direction to run away. But to my despair, the same man that I saw with Tanya in the cafe. Still in the same outfit as before but have an standard issued Operation Orb on his neck and a Formula Rifle in his hands that mages use to cast spells. Alongside him few more mages in uniform and similar weapons.

"You are surrounded! Drop your weapon and surrender immediately or we will shoot!" The man ordered with anger clearly directed toward me and the normal soldiers in the abandoned house also rushed out to aim their weapon at me but they clearly hesitated to pull the trigger with the hostage in my arm.

Our situation became a stalemate. I couldn't run without being shot and they aren't confident to take me out without me slitting Tanya's throat. They also clearly aren't up for negotiations.

In my mind, I am quickly formulating a plan to escape. Perhaps I can manipulate the earth to form a wall to buy me time to create mist by combining water and fire elemental spells as smokescreen to escape. But with my sluggish control and low proficiency with elemental spells, I doubt this would be enough to get me out of the situation without a scratch.

Unbeknownst to me, the Operation Orb I yanked of Tanya just now were the Elenium Type-97 mass produced Operation Orb and she still has another one, the Type-95 in her pocket that her hand is secretly reaching toward. Once she succeeded, her passive shell appeared and knocked me off her to the ground.

Just like that, a checkmate for me as I fell to my butt and lost the only advantage I have against them and stopping them from shooting a hole through my head.

"You got some guts to hold a knife on my neck, bastard." Tanya said as her face became twisted with anger because she thought her life was a goner when a knife was put on her neck. Never had she felt that close to death, not even on the battlefield.

With mana enchanting her legs, she gave a kick to my stomach that threw me to the brick wall of the house and almost cracked it apart. Even with [Reinforcement] strengthening the point of impact from her kick, I felt like my rib was going to rupture and air knocked out of my lungs.

"Captain Ugar, we can execute an enemy spy on sight, correct?" Tanya asked while ordering one of the mages that came with the captain to lend her his rifle.

"Yes… but I don't think that yo…" He couldn't finish his word but Tanya already obtains a rifle and is pouring her mana into a spell she is casting.

She walked up to my injured body and forcefully stepped on my chest which intensified the pain of my ruptured rib and broken bones.

In my mind, I tried my best to shrug off the pain and think about how to break free from this situation but my mind , unfamiliar to pain of such a degree, couldn't keep my thoughts coherent and the pain kept assaulting my mind for me to even have the focus to maintain the [Reinforcement].

I managed to catch a glance of the screen that states my HP is on an alarming low amount.

HP: 60/270

Realizing my death is close, a momentary clarity came to my mind and sobered me from the incoherent thoughts. I grab the rifle with both my hands and use [Reinforcement] and overload it with mana until it explodes.

HP: 20/270

I saw the screen and I paid them no heed anymore, if I die then I die. My survival instinct brought me up to my feets and ran as fast as I could with [Reinforcement] and [Quickstep] increasing my speed.

———

Seeing the suspect run away, none gave chase as they were stunned as Tanya was.

When the 'kid' grabs the Formula Rifle on Tanya's hand, his arm glows with circuit-like pattern and large amounts of mana powering whatever spell the 'kid' is casting which spreads a similar circuit-like pattern on the rifle before it explodes and catches Tanya off guard.

The explosion wasn't that damaging as the rifle is half disintegrated due to its physical structure broken apart by the flood of mana. However the explosion managed to produce a wind blast that lifted the cloak that has some kind of optical enchantment which made them unable to discern the wearer's true appearance. However… Once it's lifted, the appearance of the suspected spy was similar to Lieutenant Tanya?! No, it's the exact copy of Tanya as if it's her twin.

The bunch of stunned soldiers only realized two dozen seconds later that they needed to chase the suspect and went to chase him down. By that time, he had already escaped far but his magic energy signature was still flashing like a beacon at night.

"Tanya, I am not aware you have a twin."

"Me either, Captain Ugar… Wait! We should go and chase him down!" Tanya that finally broke out of her shock quickly went to give chase.

—————

Status

[Name: Rayark

Age: 9

Level: 7 (49%)

Main Class: Magus

Support Class: Technomagi

Title: Novice Magus

HP: 270 (1 VIT= 10HP, Base 200)

HP Regen: 7HP/Min (1 VIT= 1HP/M)

MP: 1035(+800) (1 WIS= 5MP, Base 150)

MP Regen: 17MP/Min (1 Wis 1MP/M)

———

STR: 10

VIT: 10

AGI: 3

DEX: 4

INT: 10+40% = 14

WIS: 12+40% = 17

LUK: 5

———

Stat Point: 20

Skill:

Fiction Adaptation LV -

Mana Manipulation LV 5/10 (Adept) (+2)

Magic Circuit LV 8/10 (Novice)

Structural Analysis Lv 3/10 (Adept)

Reinforcement Lv 9/10 (Novice) (+1)

Dagger Mastery Lv 7/10 (Novice)

Gradation Air Lv 3/10(Novice) (+1)

Quickstep Lv 5/10 (Adept) (+1)

Throwing Mastery Lv 8/10 (Novice)

Body Strengthening Lv 2/10 (Novice)

Pickpocket Lv 5/10 (Novice)

Firearm Mastery Lv 4/10 (Novice)