Ah-I really want to become a lewd Knower

"My message wasn't clear. There's nothing wrong with the notes. I just wanted to ask about some alchemy basics, if it's convenient."

The little old man, Moran, was reclining comfortably on the sofa. He set the hefty book in his hands on the low table beside him and looked up over his thin gold-rimmed glasses, meeting Wang Shui's gaze directly.

After about two seconds, Old Moran motioned with his eyes for Wang Shui to sit on the sofa beside him, saying:

"People asking pharmacy clerks to diagnose an illness aren't uncommon, but this is the first time I've met someone looking for professional knowledge from a bookseller. Still, you seem to have only just started learning alchemy. I can answer simple questions. Mr. Half... Bottle of Water? Oh, your name sounds like a disposable grunt from a third-rate novel."

It was fairly good-natured teasing.

"Thank you very much. You can call me [Wang Shui]. To get straight to the point, I encountered something strange during my first attempt at alchemy. After simply reshaping a metal component with a 'morphoplastic steel' base, changes in its internal crystalline phases had already manifested as new macroscopic characteristics. The metal's properties had clearly changed, particularly its reduced toughness. That was very obvious."

As Wang Shui spoke, he took a slim hardcover book from beneath his shoulder cape and opened it to the bookmarked page. His questions were also written on the white paper bookmark.

After Old Moran took the book, Wang Shui retrieved the Alchemy Array he had made from a protective steel plate, an original alloy nut, and the alchemical product he had already melted from his Awakener space.

Old Moran was fairly composed at first, but when he took the protective steel plate, his expression grew considerably stranger.

"Is this an external armor plate from an armored personnel carrier?"

"No, it's a repair consumable for powered armor, though there isn't much difference between the two. This kind of steel plate can also be used as a protective insert."

"Hiss-now that's an unusual use. Resistant to energy corrosion and impacts, with strong blocking properties. This material certainly can support all sorts of arrays. Hmm? What did you use to draw it?"

"A kind of cold-welding gel. It conducts energy extremely well, but it's difficult to alter once applied. I didn't have any professional apprentice tools on hand, so I found some substitutes."

"Very inventive. Adaptability, substitution, and ease of use are the right mindset for learning alchemy... As for your product, yes, its physical properties have clearly changed. Is the circled section on the bookmark your [incantation]?"

"Yes. The incantation supplements the array. According to this book, my alchemical process should have been simple reshaping. It shouldn't have changed the material itself, only its homogeneity at most. There's something else I'm wondering about, too. What role does mental power actually play during alchemy? A stirring rod? Or simply a mold?"

As Wang Shui asked his questions, Old Moran keenly dissected his reasoning and arrived at an answer in about half a minute.

"Neither. For alchemy, mental power should be the eyes-observation. I think I know where you went wrong. Hmm-do you know the [Three Laws of Mages]?"

Old Moran abruptly changed tack and asked a question instead.

"Do you mean the law that [observation is interference]?"

Old Moran merely nodded calmly and continued:

"When using alchemy, your mind is neither a tool nor your hands, but your eyes. Using mental power to participate directly in the alchemical process is wrong. That's merely a special teaching method for rapidly training apprentices. Like ideal conditions in a chemistry experiment, it's only an assumption that makes learning easier.

"The correct method is to guide the alchemical process with the [interference] produced by mental observation. That requires support from your 'perception' and 'thought' attributes."

Wang Shui looked thoughtful.

"Misusing mental power alone wouldn't cause such a large discrepancy. Your Alchemy Array also has a fatal error."

As Old Moran spoke, he picked up the intact nut between his right index and middle fingers,

Red strands of energy extended from his fingertips, tracing a basic red Alchemy Array in the air around the nut. Wang Shui's array had an upright triangle inscribed within a circle, while Old Moran's had a six-pointed star inscribed within the circle.

"Your array only uses the upright triangle representing [ascension]. It's true that 'lossless deformation' falls under [ascension], but with ascension and no descent, the substance will naturally change."

The red Alchemy Array gave off a faint glow. The hard alloy nut rapidly drew together in Old Moran's hand, becoming a smooth-surfaced metal ball.

The array dispersed. Old Moran handed Wang Shui the metal ball and continued:

"The six-pointed star formed by combining an upright and inverted triangle is the complete alchemical concept. Unless you have a special requirement, you must keep the six-pointed star intact in the array. Only the combination of ascension and descent constitutes a complete transformation."

As Old Moran explained, he drew analytical diagrams and formulas for material changes in the air. Everything clicked for Wang Shui. Having someone teach him really did make a difference.

Spirits lifted, Wang Shui looked at the metal ball in his hand. Pale blue lines of energy extended outward from his fingers, constructing a six-pointed star within a circle in the air. Pale blue light shone, and the metal ball in his hand rapidly stretched into a metal rod.

The energy lines dispersed. Wang Shui deftly twirled the metal rod, saying, "So it really was a problem with the array."

Beside him, Old Moran looked utterly shocked. "You! How did you do that?!"

"Huh? You mean this?" As Wang Shui spoke, he raised a finger, and pale blue lines appeared again. "Constrain the energy you release with your mind. That's what the book says."

Old Moran's expression turned serious.

"You don't have the scent of a spellcasting medium on you. Barehanded casting isn't something you can accomplish that easily. Oh, right, you're an Awakener. Do you have skills like [Barehanded Casting], [Mental Casting], or [Mana Mastery]? Or is your 'thought' attribute above 20?"

"Ah, of course not." Wang Shui was opening his character panel to explain. "Uh-now I do. [Delicate Thinking], which enhances my thinking ability for detailed manipulation and grants a virtual thought bonus. Oh! I've mastered alchemy, too!"

"You just mastered it? Wait, you're a Knower?!" Old Moran sat up straight, his surprised expression gradually easing. "If you're a Knower, that kind of learning ability is perfectly normal."

"You know about this talent! I'd like to learn more! What would I need to pay for that information?"

As a regular customer of the bookstore, Wang Shui felt comfortable asking directly about elementary alchemy, but information was another matter. In worlds under the Dream System's control, discussing money was more practical and put both sides at ease.

"The Knower? They're merely rare; there's no great secret. In exchange, tell me what type of Knower you are. What's your personality qualifier?"

"Arrogant. Arrogant Knower." At a time like this, he definitely had to tell the truth. He couldn't conceal his ailment and refuse treatment.

"Arrogant? Even rarer. The [restriction] seems quite severe. Although their learning ability isn't as terrifying as other Knowers', they don't become too extreme in their pursuit of knowledge either. Quite an interesting personality, really. I remember the awakening conditions being rather demanding?"

"Uh, mine awakened randomly," Wang Shui interjected.

"Hahaha, then you're in trouble. Deliberate awakening requires a great deal of prerequisite knowledge and prerequisite supernatural classes, but those also determine a Knower's future path. A random awakening, hahaha! You won't be able to acquire a supernatural class."

Wang Shui didn't dare interrupt. He wanted to learn more.

"Haha, it's fine, it's fine. Being a Knower isn't that inconvenient. You just have to spend a little more time learning. Arrogant? I remember the [restriction] being that you only receive special bonuses for knowledge that interests you. Knowledge outside your interests is difficult to turn into skills and specialties.

"Tsk, tsk. In that respect, it falls far short of the other personalities. The most powerful, [The Knower of Extreme Lust], can acquire all another person's knowledge and skills simply by kissing them, though only for a short time. Deeper contact not only lets them permanently master the other person's knowledge, but even browse their memories. I remember a book documenting an incident involving an [Extreme Lust] who had mastered shapeshifting. He became over a dozen different people and lived that way for a long time. Even before he was made into a specimen, his 'families' still refused to believe it. Truly an ability more terrifying than a shapeshifter's. Hiss-I think he acquired his shapeshifting ability from a shapeshifter."

Holy shit, wasn't that way too powerful?!

"The [restriction] on [Extreme Lust] is that they can only acquire knowledge from someone they like. Without desire, the effect won't activate. Of course, their desires are very easily stirred."

"So, when you mentioned going to extremes, you meant...?"

Old Moran nodded, his expression turning serious. "It seems you've caught the key point. I imagine you've heard the saying, [the unknown is the source of fear; knowledge is the source of madness]?"

"I have, but doesn't that refer to things like occultism, theology, and ritual knowledge that aren't yet understood? Things like magic-guided science, arcane knowledge, alchemy, and modern science shouldn't drive people mad, should they?"

"Yes. Knowledge that can currently be compiled into books or taught openly is generally quite safe. But that knowledge is shallow, nowhere near the limits. If you keep pursuing and studying it, it will eventually intersect with things like occultism."

Wang Shui could only nod. He more or less understood the literal meaning.

"Ah, you're arrogant. Your thirst for knowledge stems from interest, so the danger is still relatively distant for you. Long ago, when I was still very young, there was a Knower among my peers with the [Hunger] personality. On the surface, he was perfectly normal. He could even acquire supernatural classes later on, change his bloodline, and so forth.

"The world simply isn't fair. His talent just didn't have any additional negative effects. He learned any kind of knowledge extremely quickly, and his talent even came with exceptionally powerful abilities like [Entrail Divination] and [Flesh and Blood Knowledge]. With just a tiny bit of flesh and blood, he could temporarily acquire some of its original owner's abilities."

Wang Shui could practically guess what had happened.

"His [restriction] was an endless [hunger] for knowledge. That craving enhanced his learning ability and strengthened his skills' effects. When he was twenty-eight, he ate his mentor, ate most of the academy's professors, ate the demon that came to welcome his fall, and nearly ate the evil god watching him. Only when no flesh and blood could attract him anymore did he disappear from the main world."

"He's still alive?!"

"Does it still count as living without a stable consciousness? Hahaha, don't look so worried. Although Knowers generally have very short lifespans, you don't need to worry about being targeted by [Hunger]. Any Knower with the Hunger personality is dealt with immediately. As for the one who disappeared, they say he's already been captured and dissected. That's highly credible."

"Even someone that monstrous could be caught? There are even stronger beings?" Wang Shui was shocked.

"Strong?" Old Moran looked odd. "Oh, right. He was very strong. Tier seven, a quasi-legend. After devouring the demon, he could pull the [Turbid Abyss] into reality with thought alone, solidifying all energy within range and mutating all life. But aren't you underestimating your cage?"

Cage? Wang Shui froze for a moment, then immediately caught on. "The Dream System?"

Old Moran smiled faintly.

"You could put it that way. Don't you usually feel that the system is clumsy and rigid, barely ever contacting you, like a landlord who only suddenly spawns on rent day?"

What an apt comparison. Wang Shui really did have similar thoughts. His infinite Lord God seemed very lazy and slow, almost never pushing him to grow stronger.

"I more or less understand what you outsider Awakeners think. In those ordinary worlds of yours, full of fantasies about the supernatural, there seems to be a kind of entertainment about an infinite Lord God ruling myriad worlds? The Dream System isn't some so-called Lord God. It's merely an intelligent system.

"And you aren't chosen ones, either. You're simply special souls the system captured from worlds it cannot reach. The system makes contracts with you, turning you into mercenaries who fight for it, while it pays you in resources to grow stronger-a slightly less-than-fair transaction, that's all. The guide in your initial awakening world should already have explained it clearly."

Huh? A guide? Was that the cocky-looking guy in black hunting clothes who told everyone to look his way at the start? He'd been blown to pieces by a shell before he could get to any actual business! Wang Shui had thought he was there to establish the battlefield's brutality!

As for his relationship with the system... Wang Shui really had made assumptions. This world was so similar to the Lord God spaces in novels that he had even marveled at the time-Wow, my Lord God world is actually an open, unfamiliar world! The Lord God is so powerful!

Old Moran paid no attention to Wang Shui's somewhat strange expression and continued:

"The system's rigidity and laxness always make some people think this prison cage is loosely guarded, always make them think they can easily break free. Heh. The system really is stupid, but the people who created it and the organization that operates and maintains it are another matter."

People? Wang Shui didn't particularly care how strong the cage was; he had never intended to escape anyway. But the creators of this system were actually just people? He had thought they would at least be gods or something on that level. After all, gods really existed in this world, and there were many of them.

"That [Hunger] certainly ranked among the powerful figures who emerged from the Dream System, but that was all. His greatest contribution was inspiring widespread research interest in the Knower talent, which subsequently enriched the available material.

"Everyone thought that, with this cautionary example, clever Knowers would take care not to become enslaved by knowledge. But judging by how few Knowers there are now, this death-courting talent of yours seems incapable of learning from history."

No, I'd never even heard this history. It wasn't online, either. I'll play it safe.

"Don't be nervous. You're [Arrogant]. The range of knowledge that interests you won't be very broad. Just take care not to die from blind confidence in your own strength. Accept this talent born from your heart. At least knowledge will no longer reject you."

Wang Shui gathered his thoughts a little, then asked one final question:

"I... more or less understand. Thank you. Thank you very much for your generosity and patience. I have one last small question. Do Knowers' personalities originate from the [seven sins]?"

Old Moran smiled, looking as though he had known Wang Shui would ask:

"To give you the answer first, no. The [seven sins] you mentioned originate from religions in certain godless worlds. Their belief in a single omniscient, omnipotent god would never appear in a truly supernatural world, much less the [original sins] they dreamed up. Those so-called original sins all have corresponding powerful forces in supernatural worlds. The more extreme the knowledge, the more powerful the energy!

"Different worlds also have records of three sins, five sins, nine sins, and so on. Most were products of self-reflection among the upper echelons of theocratic regimes, merely purges of political enemies in a god's name. Knowers come in far more varieties than seven or nine sins. [Sorrow], [Despair], [Fear], [Bloodlust], [Treachery], and so on-all of those are documented. Wait a moment."

Old Moran stood up. His movements looked slow, yet he left the little study very swiftly and ran into a room farther back. Before long, he hurried back and handed Wang Shui a book.

"Research on The Knower: Anatomical Analysis"

Besides anatomical analysis in the physical sense, the book recorded a wealth of information about the lives of Knowers with different personalities, detailing everything from their everyday behavior to how they finally courted death and became cadavers for teaching.

"I can lend you the book. I trust a knowledge-loving Knower won't soil or damage it. Hmm, this book is very expensive. Once public interest in Knowers faded, related research records stopped coming. This book was something of a final summary. Supernatural books are difficult to scan and print, too, so it gradually became the only copy."

"Ah! Thank you very much!" Wang Shui was overwhelmed by the favor. "What I mean is, if you don't mind the disturbance, I could just read it here once. I can memorize it."

"I nearly forgot-the most enviable ability you Knowers have. Ordinary [Photographic Memory] can't directly memorize supernatural knowledge. Ha, you lot, you really do have it easy. All right, all right, just read it here. The world truly never lacks miracles."

As Old Moran rambled on, Wang Shui was already engrossed in the book in his hands.