The last thing Daniel remembered was the sound of a horn.
Then came the headlights.
Then darkness.
It was strangely peaceful.
At least, that was what he thought until someone slapped him across the face.
“Get up, you lazy bastard!”
Daniel’s eyes snapped open.
He stared at the unfamiliar wooden ceiling above him. The smell of damp wood, coal and something unpleasant filled his nostrils.
For several seconds, he didn’t move.
Where was he?
He slowly turned his head.
A small window allowed weak sunlight into the room. Beneath it stood a wooden table covered in strange metal tools. An old coat hung beside the door, while a half-empty clay jug rested on the floor.
This wasn’t his apartment.
More importantly, this wasn’t Earth.
“Are you deaf?”
The same rough voice came again.
A middle-aged man with a thick beard stood beside the bed. His muscular arms were covered in scars, and his leather apron suggested he was a blacksmith.
Daniel stared at him.
“Who are you?”
The man frowned.
“Have you hit your head?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
“Get downstairs. There is work waiting for you.”
The man turned and left.
Daniel remained motionless.
Then an overwhelming headache struck him.
Memories flooded his mind.
A boy named Adrian Vale.
Nineteen years old.
An orphan.
An apprentice blacksmith.
He lived in a small town called Westbrook, located in the Kingdom of Eldoria.
His parents had died when he was young, leaving him in the care of distant relatives who eventually abandoned him.
For the past three years, he had worked in a blacksmith workshop owned by a man named Gareth.
And yesterday…
Adrian had collapsed after working throughout the night.
Daniel closed his eyes.
“You’re kidding me.”
He sat up slowly.
He wasn’t dreaming.
He had somehow transmigrated into another world.
A world where magic existed.
A world where nobles controlled the land, knights enforced their authority, and ordinary people lived under the protection—or oppression—of their lords.
Daniel rubbed his face.
He had studied mechanical engineering on Earth. He wasn’t a scientist capable of inventing everything imaginable, but he understood engineering principles, manufacturing processes and basic chemistry.
If this world really was technologically backward, perhaps his knowledge could become useful.
But first, he needed to survive.
He climbed out of bed and examined his reflection in a small metal mirror.
A young man with dark hair, brown eyes and a relatively thin face stared back.
His new body was healthier than he expected, although years of hard labour had left visible marks on his hands.
“At least I didn’t transmigrate into an old man.”
A strange sensation suddenly appeared inside his head.
DING!
Daniel froze.
A translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Knowledge Acquisition System Initializing…]
[Host detected.]
[Consciousness synchronization: 100%.]
[System successfully activated.]
Daniel stared at the screen.
“What?”
Another notification appeared.
[Welcome, Host.]
[The Knowledge Acquisition System is designed to assist the Host in acquiring knowledge from different civilizations.]
[Complete assigned tasks to unlock knowledge, technical documentation and specialized expertise.]
Daniel’s breathing quickened.
A system?
He had read countless novels involving systems, transmigration and fantasy worlds.
But experiencing one was entirely different.
He immediately examined the interface.
[HOST INFORMATION]
Name: Adrian Vale.
Age: 19.
Occupation: Blacksmith Apprentice.
Physical Condition: Average.
Magic Affinity: Undetermined.
Knowledge Points: 0.
Available Knowledge: None.
[BEGINNER QUEST ACTIVATED]
Quest: Establish Your First Independent Source of Income.
Requirements:
Produce a commercially viable product.
Successfully sell at least 20 units.
Generate a minimum profit of 5 silver coins.
Reward:
Basic Chemical Engineering.
Basic Industrial Production.
10 Knowledge Points.
Failure Penalty: None.
Daniel read the notification twice.
“Chemical engineering?”
He smiled.
For the first time since waking up, he felt genuinely excited.
The system wasn’t giving him weapons, magical powers or unlimited money.
It was offering something potentially much more valuable.
Knowledge.
And knowledge was something he knew how to use.
He looked around the small room.
The first thing he needed was information.
How much did ordinary people earn?
What products were expensive?
Which materials were readily available?
And most importantly, what did people in this world need?
He had barely begun thinking when the blacksmith’s voice echoed from downstairs.
“ADRIAN! GET DOWN HERE!”
Daniel sighed.
Apparently, his new life wasn’t going to give him much time to celebrate.
He opened the door.
“Coming!”
As he descended the wooden staircase, one thought crossed his mind.
He had lost his old life.
But perhaps this world had just given him an opportunity that Earth never could.
And he intended to make the most of it.