According to the book I was devouring, there were a few types of cores. First, the Attribute Cores that I already discovered on my own. Then the Stat Cores, which I might find in a large city, or maybe even among the stolen goods if I was lucky, though I was not yet sure if I wanted to use them. Something seemed a little...off, to my instincts. Next comes the Elemental and Specialty Cores. The book briefly mentioned Specialty Cores, but since they are, by nature, ‘specialized’, I would need to find another work that focuses exclusively on them in order to gain any true understanding. However, I did discover that this category of cores included Inventory Cores, which was given as an example. Going by the scant few sentences provided, these cores gave an individual access to a pocket dimension that can be used to organise and store items. A decent inventory system, finally! Of course, I made a mental note to get that more advanced research, to uncover the known limitations of that space.

What this book mostly focused on was Elemental Cores. Apparently, this world has developed a way of incorporating magic, via cores, into technology. I don’t mean the kind of technology that I was used to from my first life, like toaster ovens and juice blenders, or the high tech gear from a couple of iterations I lived through, like the quantum cannons (don’t ask about those, I couldn’t wrap my head around them...not even after my Commanding Officer literally wrapped my head around one when I accidentally turned his foot into a chicken. Sheesh, it’s not like Med-bay didn’t fix it in a second…). Instead, they combine the various elements in the cores with items to create a sort of magi-tech.

For example, refrigeration: the basic idea is that a fire core is used with a wind and water core to remove heat, maintain a bit of humidity, and keep the air inside the container circulating. There was no information on how exactly this was achieved, but I figured that I wasn’t going to get the inner workings of a fridge from a general core book. Other examples included using light cores for, well, lighting; water and wind cores for the equivalent of a washing machine, with fire and wind for drying; wind cores purely for propulsion of land vehicles; and the most outstanding example, lightning cores embedded in weapons for magical damage. The other elements could be used for weapons and armor as well, but the only example for lightning was pain and paralysis. Hmm, I wonder if they just lack an understanding of how electricity works…

In any case, using elemental cores allows for a wide range of technological advances to be made, which my current book did not expand upon. I might have to raid an actual library later to learn more.

One piece of information that stuck out to me, though, was the necessity for affinities. In order to keep this technology running, someone has to give the cores an initial ‘kickstart’. A person needs to have at least 10% of affinity with a particular element, and then use that element enriched mana from their own body to start up the core. For example, a refrigerator needs someone with 10% of wind, water, and fire affinities each to inject their mana into the cores on a regular basis in order for it to continue running. How long the machine lasts between recharging depends on how much power it needs to drain to serve its purpose, as well as how high the charger’s affinity is with each respective element involved. So, someone with 15% affinity across the board can grant a longer operating time than a person with just 11% of affinity.

A person gains an elemental affinity by absorbing the corresponding Elemental Core. At the same time, they unlock that element of magic within their bodies, the strength of which correlates to the affinity level. The more cores absorbed, the higher the affinity grows, but I seem to be missing a critical piece of information since the book does not make any mention of needing someone with more than 16% affinity levels to work with start a machine...

There is more to how this all works, but my solitary book could only tell me so much. A quick scan through the records of stolen goods tells me that I am unlikely to learn more about it here, so I just put the book among the other items in my backpack to review later.

Taking a few minutes to let all the information settle in my head, I look at the list yet again, this time trying to see if any Inventory Cores were recorded. If so, I would have a much easier time traveling around, though I would not be opposed to the exercise I would have in carrying all of my loot normally. Hmm, there’s an idea...have an inventory, but keep my backpack on just to trick possible thieves into believing what they saw was all I had? But would that work in this world? Maybe the first thing individual does is get an Inventory Core, just like everyone gets clothes at some point...something to think about later, I suppose.

My search bears no fruit. It seems the bandits were not fortunate enough to steal any cores lately, just mundane items. Perhaps they were not very good bandits.

Still...they must have had someone with magical skills here, in order to create the buildings in the camp. Someone with earth and fire magic, especially for the glass windows...or those could have been stolen too, but I can’t see any bandit group being happy to relieve a merchant of his precious supply of basic windows.

Well, can’t question the dead. Unless this world has necromancy, which I don’t particularly like anyways. Too much of a reminder that sometimes, death is not quite the end.

I grabbed my pack and walked out the door, mulling over my gains. Sadly, there is still one thing left to do...pilfer the only corpse remaining in this open tomb.

I made my way over to the bandit leader’s daughter, as she claimed to be. Jane Doe, I name thee. Her blood has finally stopped flowing out, but her body is still warm. I slightly regret leaving her for so long, as she is now laying in a pool of the red wine of life, which means maybe half of her stuff may be ruined for use. Oh well. I shrug and begin to pat her down, doing my best to ignore the emotions rising beneath the surface of my mind. I don’t find much, until I look into the satchel that was thankfully tied at her back, leaving it free from the dark liquid damage. Inside I find a second dagger, this one smaller and seeming to be more appropriate for throwing. Though we were too close to each other for most people to consider launching a weapon, if she had used that as a distraction I might have been in trouble from my position. I guess that’s why my luck went up a point last level.

I also found a map and what looked like two cores. The map was marked with red and blue signs. In blue, I saw the words “slime spawns”, and a number of dots in a cluster. I figured that’s where she gathered up all the slimes she needed to wipe out the camp. In red, there were no words, but a path that lead from a circle down a path and through a wooded area. The red path was marked incrementally with tiny x’s, probably denoting landmarks I could use to orient myself.

So, the little lady here did not have the path memorized and needed help finding her way to and from the camp, huh...it also seemed that the bandit camp was actually in a rather secure location, dead center between three mountain peaks. Studying the image some more, I realized that those three peaks were backed by even taller peaks, almost making the location look like a claw within a larger claw. I glanced up and shielded my eyes from the sun - was it noon now? - and tried to see where each peak was. I could only see the three smaller mountain peaks surrounding me; the larger ones were probably too far away or just not visible at my position.

I turned my attention back to the cores and the system message that came with them.

You have obtained your first Specialty Core.

Without any way to identify them, I had no idea what would happen if I absorbed them. On the one hand, although I did not want to unlock any affinities just yet until I learned of any limitations or other drawbacks, it might help to start accessing magic as early as possible. I had no doubt that if I was going to find the answers I sought about my constant reiterations, I was going to end up tangling with some super powered being or another, and walking into such a confrontation without the biggest stick I could muster would be less than wise. On the other hand, I did not want to do something irreversible, only to discover later on that it was at this point where I screwed over this life.

Decisions, decisions…

Ultimately, I decided to risk absorbing them.

I had no idea when I would ever be able to find someone who could tell me what each core was, so the only way to find out was to let the system tell me after they merge with my being. Even if it turns out to be a detriment, this is the best option I have available at the moment. Maybe my luck stat will be high enough to influence the outcome...except that my theory seems to be correct, and my luck value is just a recognition by the system of how fortunate I have been so far. Dammit.

Anyways, I picked a core at random and willed it to enter my body. Feeling the foreign mana, much less pervasive than when I absorbed dozens of cores without rest, I further willed it to settle into my being, to become part of me. A moment later, the system let me know just how much of a lucky bastard I am.

Congratulations! Inventory System Unlocked!

Calculating Experience...

Resolving Attributes...

Congratulations! You have achieved Level 5.

No battle experience needed this time? Maybe there was a threshold for other types of experience, like knowledge and core absorption? Too many questions! I have too many things to understand about this world before I could even begin my personal quest!

And with that thought, another hit me. Why am I in such a rush to leave this place? There is still a ton of resources here that I could use, especially all the texts that I did not even look at back in the leader’s house! Or office, whatever that place was. Even if I had not gotten a magical inventory, I should at least use my time here to learn as much as I could before moving on. There should be plenty enough food for me to stay holed up in secrecy while I train my body and my mind, though I would have to look for a source of water. Maybe there is a mountain stream I could use nearby...But yes, this is a golden opportunity I should not waste!

Filled with determination, I belatedly realized that I did not absorb the other core yet. Riding on the feelings of success, I began the process, hoping against hope for a second boon from this universe.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Identify]!

My feelings of triumph was tinged with flashes of annoyance and indignation. Seriously?! I could have used this quite a while ago!

Mumbling to myself about the unfair fairness of my newest life, I turned to the last task I ought to do before diving into my plans. I needed to bury the body.

I gazed upon the corpse in front of me, desperately trying to focus on the good emotions I was feeling not a moment ago. Instead, what came to the front of my mind was a mixture of despair and sadness. She just reminded me of her...though she looks nothing like her, I think, just the fact that she was young, attractive, female, alive, made me remember her. After so many years, I had lost the memory of her features, her likes and dislikes, even the arguments we used to have. And looking at the figure on the ground right now, I hope that she never encountered a similar fate.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper out loud. “Sorry I could only shield you...sorry I could only give you a chance to survive. I don’t know if time stopped at that moment, or if it continued on until you turned to dust, but I hope that you made it out alive and continued to live a happy life. I will never forget you, Risa...little sis.”

Silence reigned in the little clearing for a few minutes as I stood there. Then, without any fanfare, I turned to go find a shovel.