chapter 2:the library

Gustav, now reincarnated as Arnold, examined the system more closely, trying to understand how it worked. He noticed that he could upgrade his stats and his magic aptitude by earning experience points, or exp.

"System, how do I get exp?" Gustav asked, still trying to get a handle on this new development.

"You can earn exp by completing tasks and missions," the system responded. "The more difficult and important the task, the more exp you will earn."

Gustav nodded, taking in this information. He had a feeling that he was going to need all the help he could get in this new, dangerous world.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Gustav asked the system.

"Yes," the system replied. "You should be careful about revealing your true identity and abilities to others. Not everyone will understand or accept your unique circumstances, and it could put you in danger."

Gustav nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over him. He was going to have to be careful and strategic if he was going to survive and thrive in this alternate universe. But he was also determined to make the most of this second chance at life, and to use his knowledge and skills from the 21st century to make a difference in this world.

Arnold began making his way back to his house, taking in the sights and sounds of this new world. He noticed that there weren't many men on the streets, likely due to the war, and there were a lot of damaged buildings. As he walked, he came across a puddle and saw his reflection.

He was shocked by what he saw. He was now a teenager, standing at around 5'10" with brown hair and blue, tired eyes. He looked malnourished, with his cheekbones and jawline prominently visible due to his thin frame.

Suddenly, Arnold received a notification from the system. "New mission: Find a library and research how to use magic. Rewards: 100 exp and +2 intelligence stat."

Arnold looked around, trying to figure out where he could find a library. That's when he noticed a young girl, who looked to be around 14 years old, standing nearby. She was around 5'6" with blond hair and green eyes, and was dressed in a white cloth dress with black shoes. Arnold thought that she looked approachable, and decided to ask her where the nearest library was.

As he approached her, he noticed that she looked a bit nervous. A notification popped up in the side of his vision, offering to inspect the girl. "This system is overpowered as hell," Arnold thought to himself. He accepted the offer, and information about the girl appeared in a blue box beside her.

Her name was Vanya, and she was of Austrian descent. Her father was a soldier at war, and she was finding it hard to get by since her mother couldn't afford to buy them food. Arnold felt sorry for Vanya and resolved to give her any extra food he had if the opportunity presented itself.

As he read the girl's information, Arnold spaced out, lost in thought. He was snapped out of his daydreaming when Vanya spoke up.

"Hey, why are you staring?" she asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

Arnold realized that he had been staring at her for much longer than he intended, and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I was just lost in thought."

Vanya seemed to accept this explanation, and Arnold breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to himself, especially since he was still trying to figure out how to navigate this new world.

A bit embarrassed, Arnold asked Vanya where the nearest library was. She jumped off the wall she had been sitting on and told him that it was down the street to the left.

"It's the biggest building in this town, and it's partially destroyed because of the war," she added.

"Thanks," Arnold said, relieved to have found the library. "And sorry for the weird question, but what town are we in?"

Vanya looked at him in surprise. "How do you not know where we are? We're in Stuttgart, Germany. Are you okay? You seem a bit weird." She giggled at the end of her sentence.

Arnold couldn't help but blush a little at the comment. He used to be twenty nine, but he was now in a teenager's body and his hormones were all over the place.

"I'm Vanya," the girl introduced herself.

"I'm Arnold," he responded, and then made his way towards the library, grateful for the information and direction from Vanya.

As Arnold walked away from Vanya, he shouted back to her, "I hope I can see you again."

"Likewise," she shouted back.

As Arnold made his way down the street, he noticed that it was starting to get dark. He needed to get to the library quickly.

On his way, he saw a boy going into a bakery. The boy looked quite wealthy, with a silk shirt on, which was a hard material to come by, especially during World War I. The boy had left his bike outside the bakery.

"I know I'm going to have to do bad things to get by in this world, so I'm sorry, kid," Arnold said to himself as he hoisted the bike up and rode off.

The boy in the shop noticed and ran out, screaming, "Hey, give me my bike back!" But Arnold was already long gone.

As Arnold turned the corner, he saw a parade of women marching down the street with a German flag, singing patriotic songs. But he also saw something even more magnificent – a giant cathedral with chunks missing from it.

"That's it, that's the library," Arnold said to himself.

He made his way to the two big wooden doors of the library and walked in. Inside, there were hundreds of books on various shelves. Arnold went to the receptionist, a woman who looked to be in her late 30s with a stern look on her face.

"Hey, do you know where the books on magic are?" Arnold asked her.

The lady eyed him up and down, scrutinizing him. "They're on the bookshelf to the very left of the room, but if you want more information on magic, you would have to join the military, as some secrets are kept from the public," she replied.

"Thank you," Arnold said. He traversed the large hall, making his way to the bookshelves. He looked at the books and touched one titled "The Basics of Magic." Suddenly, a notification from the system popped up, asking if he wanted to absorb the book's knowledge.

"Sick, I can't get over this system," Arnold thought to himself. He accepted the offer, and suddenly, information flowed into his mind. It felt as if an ice pick had just been shoved into his head because of all the information he had to absorb.

There were ten levels of magic, and Arnold was level one. Each time you levelled up, your magic would become more powerful. Magic in this world worked differently than in others – instead of casting spells and healing, you imbued weapons with it to make them more powerful. A normal rifle bullet would go straight through a person, but a magic imbued one would blow that person to smithereens.

The reason why Germany had been holding on in this war for so long was because they had the strongest magic tech in the world.

Arnold was prompted by the system, "Would you like to learn the magic strengthening meditation technique?"