Clang!
The door to the testing chamber swung open.
Rufina walked in, her silver hair falling over her shoulders, that same unflappable calm on her face.
She lifted her eyes to Keran.
“How do you feel after the chip implantation?”
“My head feels stuffed,” Keran answered honestly.
“Like someone crammed an entire library into it.”
Rufina glanced at him.
Her expression didn’t change, but something unreadable flickered in her eyes.
It looked like an assessment, mixed with a faint spark of curiosity.
“Good.”
She turned immediately to her assistant beside her.
“Schedule a combat test immediately.”
Keran froze.
“What? I’m just a regular guy. I have zero combat ability.”
He knew exactly what a combat test was.
The chip had given him that information.
Azure City ran combat power assessments on every Otherworld Lifeform.
The method was straightforward.
They threw you into an arena to fight captured mutated creatures, timed how long you survived, and collected data along the way.
One wrong move, and you could die right there.
The urge to run flared up again.
But he knew nothing about Azure City’s layout and had no idea how many armed personnel there were.
With his pathetic combat power, resisting would be suicide.
Every single trained guard in that hallway was around Level 10.
They were elites among ordinary humans.
And then there was Rufina.
His System Panel showed it as clear as day.
Rufina.
Level 30.
Conservatively speaking, she could take on a thousand of him.
Keran closed his eyes and forced the impulse down.
Calm down.
At its core, Star Abyss is a world built upon technology.
Five technological disciplines form the foundation of civilization: Energy, Mechanics, Genetics, Biotechnology, and Forging.
Every profession is simply a different path that branches from one of these five systems.
By mastering the appropriate Profession Knowledge Tome, anyone can embark on their chosen career path.
Even though he was in the real Star Abyss now, the world’s core logic worked exactly like a game.
The rules, the systems, the progression.
None of it was outside what he already knew.
…
“Take him to the combat test in half an hour.”
Rufina didn’t look at Keran again.
She turned and left, leaving only the two guards and her assistant behind.
It was the same two armed guards.
They flanked Keran on either side as they walked.
The one on the left was expressionless, his eyes cold and tired.
Like he was carrying a weight he would never speak of or fix.
The one on the right had his jaw set and his brows slightly furrowed, radiating silent impatience.
Neither spoke.
Neither looked at him.
Their steps were perfectly synchronized, as precise and mechanical as the distance they kept from him.
Keran didn’t struggle.
He walked between them, his mind racing.
The group stopped in front of a heavy metal door.
Beyond the door was another room.
Larger than the testing chamber, and far quieter.
The walls were lined with dark metal panels.
Several complex machines stood against them, some projecting blue holograms.
Streams of data drifted silently through the air.
The room smelled of disinfectant and metal, cold and dry.
The assistant walked over to the machines and started calibrating them.
The two guards pushed Keran down into a chair in the center of the room.
Keran didn’t resist.
He sat down and scanned the room.
Then he froze.
Ten meters away, against the left wall, stood a floor-to-ceiling glass bookshelf.
The books were lined up neatly with their spines facing out.
“Introduction to Armor Engineering”, “Alloy Materials and Protective Structures”, “Armor Repair Manual”, “Stress Analysis of High-Strength Alloys”…
Keran stared at the bookshelf, and his heart skipped a beat.
Knowledge tomes.
Those were skill knowledge tomes.
He schooled his features, not letting any of his excitement show.
In games, knowledge tomes let you learn classes and skills directly.
No extra requirements, just read and unlock.
This world followed the same rules.
He’d already proven the chip implantation worked.
The tomes should work too, in theory.
His problem was simple.
He had no skills, no class.
The combat test was a death sentence for him.
But if he could learn even one book before the test.
The two guards stood behind him, their eyes fixed on him, alert and silent.
Keran didn’t hesitate.
He stood up and walked toward the bookshelf.
The movement caught everyone off guard.
The two guards raised their guns and aimed in less than a second.
With the muzzle of a gun trained on his back, Keran kept his face neutral and kept walking.
Don’t shoot, he thought.
I have so little HP, one shot, and I’m dead…
“Wait.”
The assistant’s voice came from behind him.
“Let’s see what he does.”
The two guards exchanged a glance.
Their fingers slowly lifted from the triggers, but they didn’t lower their guns.
Keran let out a quiet breath.
His bet paid off.
Azure City treated him as an Otherworld Lifeform.
Their reactive behaviors were part of the observation data.
As long as he didn’t show clear aggressive intent, they wouldn’t shoot.
They were more curious about what he would do than eager to stop him.
He reached the bookshelf, pulled out Introduction to Armor Engineering, and opened it.
It was filled with dense material, mechanics formulas, and structural blueprints.
The drawings were intricate and obscure, covered in tiny annotations.
Any ordinary person would have given up after three lines.
Keran forced himself to scan the pages.
After about ten seconds.
Ding.
[You have completed one self-study session of Armor Engineering knowledge. Based on your attributes, Introduction to Armor Engineering progress: 2.0%. Fast Learner bonus: +0.2%.]
Something inside him relaxed.
“It works. Just like I thought.”
He didn’t show any reaction.
He kept turning the pages.
The System automatically parsed the information and imprinted it directly into his mind.
It wasn’t just skimming words.
He didn’t need to understand it.
He just needed to turn the page.
The progress bar on his System Panel ticked forward one notch at a time.
[Introduction to Armor Engineering] Progress: 15%…
32%…
51%…
He turned the pages faster and faster.
The soft rustle of paper was loud in the silent room.
The assistant stood still, watching him with a thoughtful expression.
The guards lowered their guns further, but remained on alert.
No one spoke.
Keran was completely focused, his face calm.
He had no idea what they planned to do with him next.
What tests would they run?
How far would they go?
What would happen when they were done?
He probably had less time than he thought.
The sooner he got a trump card, the sooner he had an out.
Even a tiny one.
Bang.
The door slammed open.
Rufina walked in, glanced around the room, and frowned slightly.
“What’s going on here?”
“It’s like this.” The assistant stepped forward, lowering her voice as she reported what she’d seen.
“He walked straight to the bookshelf as soon as he came in. I determined he wasn’t an immediate threat, so I let him continue. From what I can tell, he has an active desire to learn these materials.”
Rufina was silent for a moment.
She glanced at Keran, then at the book in his hands.
“If you’ll let me perform a neural slice analysis on him,” the assistant pushed her glasses up, her tone serious.
“I can give you more precise results.”
Keran kept turning the pages, mentally rolling his eyes.
How badly does this woman want to cut my head open?
Rufina raised her hand, rejecting the assistant’s request.
“Is the combat test ready?” She turned to her assistant.
“If his abilities have actually improved, I need more concrete data.”
“It’s all set. We can start whenever you’re ready.”
Keran’s ears perked up.
Combat test.
Alright.
Time to hurry.
Just then, a soft chime sounded, and a new notification popped up on his System Panel.
[Introduction to Armor Engineering] Progress: 100%.
[You have learned basic Armor Engineering knowledge. Armor Engineering skill tree unlocked.]
[You have unlocked a new class. Junior Armor Engineer. Strength +2, Endurance +2, Intelligence +1, Energy +10. You have gained 2 free attribute points and 1 potential point.]
[You have learned new skills. Basic Armor Perception, Structural Analysis, Simple Armor Repair.]
A warm current spread through his body out of nowhere, and his mind cleared instantly.
Unlike regular studying, all those confusing material blueprints and engineering parameters suddenly made perfect sense.
It was like a door that had been locked forever had swung open from the inside.
The knowledge was burned into his mind, becoming real understanding.
Keran almost dropped the book.
This actually works.
His personal System Panel updated immediately.
Name: Keran
Identity: Otherworld Lifeform
Race: Human
Total Level: 2
Experience: 0
Class: Junior Armor Engineer Lv1 (0/200)
Discipline: Mechanics
Health Points: 70/70
Stamina Points: 95/95
Personal Attributes: Strength 7, Agility 5, Endurance 8, Intelligence 6, Spirit 3, Charisma 2, Luck 2
Free Attribute Points: 2
Energy: 10/10 [Lv1]
Power Level: F-
[You’re still a little ways away from being able to beat the lowest level mutated creature]
Talents:
Fast Learner: Increases learning and crafting speed by 10%
Minor Willpower Enhancement: Willpower +5
Skills:
Basic Armor Perception Lv1 (0/1000): Improves understanding of armor structures
Structural Analysis Lv1 (0/500): Performs basic damage assessment on armor
Simple Armor Repair Lv1 (0/500): Performs basic repairs on damaged armor
Potential Points: 1
Class Skill Tree:
• Modifications: Basic Armor Engineering Lv1, [19 unlearned skills]
• Energy: [20 unlearned skills]
• Armaments: [20 unlearned skills]
Influence: None
Danger Level: Extremely Low
Equipment: None
Keran’s face fell.
Even with his new power, he still wasn’t quite strong enough to take down the lowest-level mutated creature reliably.
Just to be safe…
he needed to level up first.
But where would he get experience?
Fighting monsters was out of the question.
He couldn’t beat any.
He was flanked by two guards.
He couldn’t even leave the room.
Keran looked up and scanned the room again.
There was a toolbox on the side of the instrument table.
It held a few small repair tools, pliers, and screwdrivers.
Next to it was a small testing device he didn’t recognize.
Keran walked toward the instrument table.
“Stop.”
The guard behind him stepped forward, his hand landing on Keran’s shoulder.
“Wait a minute.”
Rufina stood where she was, not stopping him.
She was suddenly curious.
What exactly was this Otherworld Lifeform planning?
The second he picked up the testing device, its information appeared in his mind.
[AU-3 Energy Tester. Quality: Gray. Used to detect ambient energy fluctuations. Components: Sensing Core, Data Processing Module, Casing…]
He flipped the device over, found the latch, and pressed it.
The back cover popped open.
The internal structure was laid bare before him.
[Basic Armor Perception] glowed faintly in his skill bar.
He started taking it apart.
His movements were clumsy, but every step was precise.
Thirty seconds later, the tester was in pieces on the floor.
Everyone looked shocked.
The assistant’s face lit up with excitement.
She muttered under her breath.
“Less than half an hour of studying… and he can take it apart this fast. This learning ability…”
[You have completed one precision instrument disassembly. Perfection: 28%. You have gained 35 experience.]
Keran didn’t put it back together.
He sorted the parts into piles and picked up the casing frame.
It was a curved lightweight alloy plate, just long enough to cover his forearm.
He picked up the pliers from the toolbox and started bending the edges.
He rearranged and secured several internal support rods to act as an inner frame, then tightened the whole structure with zip ties.
[You have completed one simple armor modification. Perfection: 64%. You have gained 58 experience.]
He took apart two more spare testers for parts, layered extra alloy plates over the most vulnerable wrist area, and secured them with screws.
[Perfection: 71%. You have gained 63 experience.]
Rufina finally snapped out of her daze.
Her voice was sharp and serious.
“Start the combat test immediately.”
As he tightened the last screw, his experience bar hit exactly 200 points.
A warm current rose up his spine, and a new notification popped up on his System Panel.
[Level Up to Lv3]
[Strength +1, Endurance +1, Intelligence +1. You have gained 2 free attribute points and 1 potential point.]
Keran dumped all his free attribute points into Strength, then looked down at the thing in his hands.
It looked rough, with a few sharp edges he hadn’t sanded down, but the structure was solid.
A new item notification popped up on his System Panel.
[Temporary Alloy Bracer (Crafted)]
Quality: Gray
Base Defense +5
Covers the forearm.
Can withstand one direct strike from a low-level mutated creature.
Retains residual low-power energy circuits inside.
Has a chance to trigger a short electrical discharge when hit by a heavy impact.
Low Durability
…
It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.
Keran slipped the bracer onto his left forearm, fastened it tight, and flexed his wrist.
Not bad.
It didn’t restrict his movement, at least.