I'm Really Not the Lightning King (Please Read On)

You'd never imagine what a science and engineering dog would do when he got bored out of his mind!

Lein had transmigrated. It wasn't that he had no golden finger; it was just that the four words [Never Tire of Teaching] occasionally appeared on his retina, which drove him absolutely nuts.

The godforsaken place he'd transmigrated to was an abandoned ancient village. There were a few dozen hectares of wasteland and a deep pool full of fish. As long as he was willing to fish, he wouldn't starve. The fish had no idea how dangerous the world was, so they were easy to catch—just bait the hook with a few worms and they'd bite. He could clear a few plots of land later, too, and self-sufficiency wouldn't be a problem. The trouble was, he couldn't get out.

The cliffs surrounding him were a hundred meters tall. More absurdly, Lein had heard dragon roars coming from beyond the valley.

After three or four days of anxious dread, he happened to spot the silhouette of a Western dragon between the clouds. If his estimate was right, it was a White Dragon more than ten meters long.

And the dragon roars outside weren't coming from just one or two dragons. There was a whole horde.

This place might as well have been the Valley of Dragons.

That put an end to any thought of leaving the valley.

Lein considered himself a homebody. Give him electricity, running water, and enough food, and he could stay in his room for a month without going out. The catch was that he needed a high-end computer and broadband.

What was this godforsaken place supposed to be?

At least the system had given him a language module for this world.

But teach people?

At least give him a living person first!

Was he supposed to train carp to leap over the Dragon Gate?

Even if he made climbing gear and tried to get out, he'd probably just become a little snack in a dragon's mouth.

After Lein gave up hope and spent two weeks living a feudal-style life of fishing and farming, he was bored out of his mind. He discovered that the village did at least have a fairly well-preserved Blacksmith Shop, along with a pile of Metal Ingots and various ores in the warehouse behind it. As a science and engineering dog, he decided to put his physics knowledge to use: he'd build a little waterwheel by the village's small waterfall, then use the waterpower to generate electricity with electromagnetic induction.

After he'd just finished cobbling together a simple electromagnetic generator and, while he was at it, made a [Tesla coil], lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the distant sky.

His chuunibyou kicked in.

He couldn't help it. When someone was so bored they were going crazy, it was easy to talk to himself and even make friends with "thin air."

"Hahaha! Back in the day, I rode the Sky City all by myself, stormed the divine realm, and shot down the divine kingdoms of three evil gods!"

"The demons wouldn't accept defeat! I overturned a hundred layers of the Bottomless Abyss and slaughtered the Baatorian archdevils left and right!"

"The devils stirred up trouble! I fought my way through the nine layers of Baator Hell and smeared the Devil King's blood on the walls!"

"And yet, war fires raged everywhere..."

"How I hated that two fists couldn't beat four hands!"

"Powerful as I am...there's only one 'me' in the world!"

"The world is so vast, and there are so many fools who don't know what's good for them. How could I kill them all by myself?"

Watching the clouds gather and winds rise in the distance, Lein felt his spirits soar. His bold voice echoed through the world amid the thunderous roar.

"The great wind rises, the clouds fly; my might spreads across the land, and I return to my homeland. Where can I find brave warriors to guard the four corners of my realm?!"

The famous line from Liu Bang, the Han Dynasty's founding emperor, was undeniably stirring.

Lein spread his arms wide toward the sky, feeling the wind blow in from afar and hearing his clothes flap noisily around him. Holding that pose, he felt incredibly cool.

If he had to rate his own performance, he'd give himself 99 points. He'd take one point off in case he got too full of himself.

Just then, a sudden splash sounded behind him.

"Master, please teach me the secrets of Lightning Magic—"

He turned around.

A brown-haired boy who looked a little simple-minded, about sixteen or seventeen years old, was kneeling before Lein, apparently determined to stay down until he got his way.

No!

Wait!

Where had this kid come from? Wasn't this an uninhabited village?

The sopping-wet boy had appeared out of nowhere, leaving Lein utterly baffled and silently screaming in panic.

Oh no! I must've gotten up too fast!

Lein promptly denied it. "Young man! You've got the wrong idea. I don't know any Lightning Magic."

The boy froze for a moment, then gave him a look that said, "Come on, Old Man," and gazed mournfully at Lein's right hand.

Following the boy's gaze, Lein went dumbstruck, too.

Dozens of tiny bolts of electricity, identical to the raging lightning in the sky, danced nimbly across the hand of this so-called "Lightning Mage" like lively little snakes.

Lein immediately realized he'd overdone the act.

He genuinely had no idea how to explain to a local with no scientific knowledge that, despite the high voltage on the electromagnetic coil and the terrifying flicker of its electric arcs, the current passing through his hand might only be one milliamp—not even remotely in the same league as the lightning crashing down from the sky.

At most, his hand felt just a little numb.

Lein tried to salvage the situation and cleared his throat. "Listen, I don't know any magic. This is science! It's a truth that exists throughout nature. You just haven't learned it yet. It's like how the sun rises and sets every day. You've got the wrong person. I'm looking for someone to teach me magic, too! And this thing can't hurt anyone. If you don't believe me, come touch it."

He had no idea that, to the boy who had accidentally stumbled into this place, what he'd just done looked like something straight out of a fantasy:

It was overcast.

In a mysterious and dangerous valley, isolated from the rest of the world, an ancient village sat amid ruins from a bygone age. On a hillside at the edge of the village, bolts of lightning kept streaking down from the clouds in the distance. The flashes lit up the boy's field of vision, letting him clearly see a "young man" not much older than himself standing beside a strange metal cylinder.

The boy could see the light reflected in those dark eyes.

Yes!

Electricity identical to the raging lightning in the sky had traveled from far away to land meekly in the Lightning Mage's palm, playing with him like a little rabbit.

To a boy who knew nothing about magic, there was no doubt: this was the very magic that existed only in the stories passed down by Bards!

The magic of lightning!

In that instant, the electricity dancing at the man's fingertips became a lifelong, unshakable faith in the boy's heart.

The boy gazed fervently at the Tesla coil, realizing that the master had used this ancient artifact to command the thunder.

He understood now. So this was a kind of magic called [science]! How could the Great Sage, who could easily see the truth behind everything, need anyone else to teach him magic? Clearly, he meant that no one in this world was qualified to teach him! He was a true Great Mage.

Still, when Lein told him to touch those terrifying bolts of lightning, the boy instinctively shuddered, wiggled his butt, and shuffled back.

No!

Were you seriously taking half a step backward?

The boy's reaction left Lein feeling awkward.

Unwilling to give up, Lein asked, "What did you hear just now?"

"From when Master started laughing..."

Lein's vision went dark. So he heard the whole thing? Good grief! That was my "glorious record" from playing Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing games before I transmigrated. Did this kid actually believe it?

Knowing that any explanation would sound even more like an excuse, Lein grimaced. "That was just something I said on a whim."

The boy bowed again, dead serious. "Master, I've traveled through thirteen provinces and climbed two hundred and fifty mountains, big and small. At last, I found you here in this ancient, hidden land. For a hundred years, magic has vanished from the world. Please, you must take me as your apprentice and teach me the secrets of lightning. Save humanity from the oppression of monsters, demons, and devils!"

His words happened to echo what someone had said earlier about finding brave warriors to guard the four corners of the realm!

But Lein was startled by something else. It took him a long time to recover from the flood of information the boy had just revealed.

This world had monsters, demons, and devils, but no cannons or magic?

Then what the hell was the point of fighting?

As Lein's thoughts whirled in chaos, the boy continued on his own. "My name is Downs Quijote. I've been frail since childhood and couldn't inherit the family business by becoming a powerful knight. I swore to seek the true ancient Way of Magic. Today, fate has led me to meet you, Archmage. This must be the gods' favor. Please don't refuse me, Archmage. I'll train as hard as I can and make the Way of Magic flourish."

People in this world didn't seem to make a habit of banging their foreheads on the ground, but he was definitely performing a full-body prostration.

Lein wore an expression of profound awkwardness. Hearing the boy's ridiculous name, his first thought was of the famous Don Quixote from before he transmigrated.

The translation of this boy's name differed from that one by just one character. For all he knew, he was just as stubborn—the kind of person who'd charge a windmill on horseback without a second thought.

Lein's biggest thought was that this kid had a serious delusion problem. There was no hope for him; his father should delete the character and start over.

But explaining wouldn't help!

By now, no matter how Lein refused or denied being an Archmage, Downs just looked at him as if he wouldn't believe it even if he died.

He was stubborn as a mule!

"No! You must be an Archmage who has withdrawn from the world!"

Lein spat inwardly the instant he heard that.

Pah!

If you're still a virgin at thirty, you can be an Archmage, too!

You're an Archmage! Your whole family are Archmages!

Lein was so furious he nearly threw up blood. He knew he was using middle-school physics, but he had no idea how to explain it to this thickheaded local.

The electromagnetic coil was connected to the little waterwheel, and the waterwheel was connected to the motor. As long as the waterwheel kept turning, the electricity kept flowing.

And the kid across from him looked like he needed to be on medication.

Worst of all, this world clearly didn't have the Yellow River. Lein couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into one!

Looking awkward, Lein stepped on the large switch at his feet. Electromagnetic induction stopped at once.

As luck would have it, just as Lein seemed to flick his hand and extinguish the electricity, the sky in the distance cleared almost at the same time.

Though there wasn't a trace of electricity left in sight, Downs seemed to see the colossal phantom of a god high above the ninth heaven. It had withdrawn its power over lightning, hidden itself, and drawn its Soul of God into the tiny mortal body before him.

After all, in myths and legends, anyone who could command the power of lightning was either the God King or another supreme deity!

The same principle surely applied to mages.

Downs forgot to breathe, his gaze burning even brighter.

"Master! I know that reclusive experts like you value their peace and quiet, which is why you hid away in this world, where no one can disturb your magical experiments. But learning magic to protect my people is my entire dream! For the sake of my lifelong pursuit of magic, please teach me its secrets."

Magic!?

I can teach you middle-school physics, like some teacher sent to the countryside, but I really can't teach you magic!

Lein didn't know what it meant to Never Tire of Teaching. All he knew was that if he really tried to teach him, he'd Never Tire of Destruction.

Was he supposed to start the Industrial Revolution all by himself, strap an exoskeleton Mecha onto this naive boy, give him a high-powered generator backpack, then shoot dragons out of the sky with a 100,000-volt taser?

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

At the thought, Lein's expression hardened. In the coldest tone he could manage, he scolded, "The magic you're talking about is nothing more than knowledge you can't yet master. It doesn't have the invincible power you imagine, either. Learning something that can't help you kill your enemies will only bring you harm. Get out! I don't want to see you!"

With that, Lein turned away, folded his hands behind his back, and didn't look at the boy again.

But that desolate figure, paired with his clothes billowing in the gale, left a deep and unforgettable impression on the young Downs. The mysterious, inscrutable image of this reclusive wind Mage was etched into his heart.

The boy shivered. Suddenly, he understood: right! What the master really meant was—[knowledge] is power! Knowledge is magic! His magic was invincible, but too profound and difficult to understand. If Downs learned only a little, he'd not only hurt himself but bring shame on his master. Better not to teach him at all.

Yes! This had to be the reclusive master's biggest concern!

Then it was time to show his resolve!

Downs fought back tears, bowed again, and ran off, looking somewhat dazed.

When Lein saw Downs leave, he couldn't help following him. He wanted to know where the boy had come from. But when they reached the pool full of fish, he saw the boy dive straight into the water.

Lein was dumbfounded.

The shallows were fine, but once you went down about two meters, the water was freezing.

Once, he'd tried diving a little deeper and nearly frozen to death.

Wait! Is this what you call frail?

Oh well! At least he'd managed to chase the kid away. He wouldn't lead him astray.

What Lein hadn't expected was that the boy would come back three days later.

Lein was fishing when Downs burst two meters out of the water, a large box on his back, and landed steadily in front of him.

As expected, a fishing enthusiast could catch anything except fish.

Like an apprentice?

Downs opened the obviously waterproof box and proudly took out what was inside. A dazzling burst of multicolored light nearly blinded the transmigrator's Kryptonite Dog Eye.

Looking at the huge pile of gold coins and gemstones, Lein felt as if he'd been turned to stone.

"This is..."

"Master! I sold my family's ancestral armor and traded it for gold coins and magic stones to offer as my Apprenticeship Ceremony. Please, you must take me as your apprentice. This is everything I own!" With that, Downs knelt and bowed deeply, refusing to get up.

Lein's mind was like a set of rusty gears that had seized up. It took ages for them to turn again.

The kid in front of him wasn't dressed particularly lavishly. He clearly didn't come from some wealthy family. But if his family owned armor, they were probably part of a knightly family tradition.

From what Lein knew about knights, a suit of armor in a low-ranking knightly family was worth about as much as a house had been back where he'd come from. It made sense for them to treat it as an heirloom.

This fool had actually sold the armor to learn magic. Lein could easily imagine what people back home thought of him:

Idiot! Moron! Spendthrift! Selling off his granddad's land without a care!

No wonder his surname was Quijote.

Lein really couldn't out-stubborn him.

Besides...

I, Lein, am not the kind of man who gets dazzled by money!

I just wanted to experience what it felt like to buy a house outright in another world.

If that didn't work out, I could always use the money to go around reviewing brothels for a living.

Ahem!

It was definitely, absolutely, not because the kid had offered too much!

"Sigh! Fine, fine! Since you're so sincere, I'll teach you a tiny bit of [electricity] knowledge. Whether you can understand it will depend on your Comprehension." Lein decided to teach Downs middle-school physics and nothing else. If Downs still couldn't figure out Lightning Magic after that, it wouldn't matter. Before Downs could turn into a refund guy and yell, "Fuck you, give me my money back!" Lein could just return ninety percent of the tuition.

He'd keep the remaining ten percent as travel money for when he got out of the valley.

Downs was overjoyed and bowed again and again. "May I ask my master's name...?"

"Don't call me master. You haven't even begun your training yet, so you're not qualified to call me that! As for my name, I'm Lein..." Thinking of how everyone in this world put their surnames after their given names, Lein blurted out a lie. "Lein Tesla!"

That's right!

Tesla!

The nineteenth-century Earth inventor who had invented alternating current and the electromagnetic coil through his own efforts, hailed by the world as the [Lightning King], the Man Closest to God—Nikola Tesla!

Great God Tesla, since your invention saddled me with this apprentice, I'll borrow your name to help me shoulder the blame.

It's not that I want to deceive this kid. Your invention was just too amazing.

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