The Insider System - Chapter 36: Alchemy

Is magic really a wish machine?

No! In a universe where magic actually exists, the ultimate nature of magic must be as simple and beautiful as the laws of physics.

This is the story of a mass-produced magic warfare tool man who learned the ultimate nature of magic.

But so what?

Just as a bird can fly without understanding aerodynamics, so a wizard does not need to understand the ultimate nature of magic to use magic.

Knowing the ultimate nature of magic does not mean that the tool man can become a great magician.

But the desire for knowledge is human instinct, and curiosity is the first driving force of human civilization. Humans hope to understand the inner workings of magic, even if it is supposed to be unreasonable.

An inquiry into the ultimate nature of magic, without any justification!

The story in the book takes place in an age where steel dances with gunpowder.

Here, muskets are in the ascendant, armor is still the protagonist, military theories are changing with each passing day, and innovations in systems and craftsmanship are emerging one after another. And this world has one more thing than ours: magic.

The world is undergoing earth-shaking changes, and no one can stay out of it.

- Description from novelbuddy

They hunted my kind for extinction but I came back as their nightmaresnon human mcDarian once the strongest Dragon Knight in the Empire, died protecting the last dragon from extinction. Betrayed by his comrades and burned alive by holy fire, he vowed vengeance with his last breath.But the gods answered—with a curse and a gift.Darian reincarnates hundreds of years later... as the last dragon egg hidden in a cave deep beneath the earth.Now, inside a fragile shell, he remembers everything. The betrayal. The genocide. The lies told by the human kingdoms. And as his body slowly grows, so does the power of ancient draconic magic—and the System embedded into his very soul.> [Draconic Evolution System Activated]Choose Your ElementUnlock Ancient MemoriesDevour Magic Sources to Accelerate GrowthHatch When Power is ReadyHe must hide from dragon hunters, manipulate desperate adventurers, and absorb mana from the dying world to hatch once more—stronger, darker, and more terrifying than ever.And when he emerges?> The world that burned him will feel true fire.

Kang Li woke up in the body of the sickly beauty, the youngest daughter of the Kang family in Aoli Village, who had been spoiled and pampered all her life.The original host had a tough life, first being dumped, then marrying a divorced man in a fit of anger to become a stepmother, only to find herself unfortunately becoming the control set for another stepmother in the courtyard.She could certainly be considered a top contender for cannon fodder among supporting female characters.But to Kang Li, none of this was a problem.All she knew was that the so-called divorced man was a returned overseas research talent, busy with work, with a high salary and good looks, and was hardly ever at home. In these times, where food and clothing were scarce and communication was done by shouting, marrying him was nothing but good news to her, who just wanted to live the life of a salted fish.Kang's Mother: ...my daughter's gone silly!Brothers (sisters-in-law, nephews, and nieces): ...our sister (young auntie) has gone mad!However, apart from the head of the household, Captain Kang, the rest of the family were all sweating on Kang Li's behalf, worried that the delicate and frail treasure of the house (sister, young aunt) wouldn't be able to handle the grievances of being a stepmother and might hurt herself from the stress.The villagers who knew about the Kang family's situation gathered together, spewing sour words and gossiping, especially those who bore no good will and were just waiting to see the Kang family's downfall.Yet, Kang Li's life after marriage was not only blissful, but her husband doted on her, her stepchildren adored her, calling her mom the moment they opened their mouths. They clung to her like people possessed, and the wife (stepmother) had them following her every step.A certain flabbergasted system: I thought the host I was bound to was bronze-tier, but it turns out she's actually king-tier.Luo Yanqing was naturally indifferent, with only work on his mind, but somehow, he started to find himself looking forward to holidays, although he rarely managed to go home once a whole year.

This hilarious fantasy story mixes mythological figures, cosmic entities, and a wolf babysitter with just too much contracts on his hands.It revolves around a Monstrous—though, gullible—wolf, reduced to a babysitter and a magnet for bad contracts.Ruben—formerly Ravenswood—is a classic “grumpy but good-hearted” reluctant hero. He is powerful and fearsome, but his terrible decision-making and misfortune always puts him in some kind of inconvenient pact.He got captured by a Human, who later tricked him into a lifelong contract of protecting his daughter, Alicia—whose identity is shrouded in mystery—who also turned out to be a psychotic Yandere!In an attempt to flee the suddenly-catastrophic Gihon—which is earth—with the Human’s daughter, Ruben was obstructed by Pluto, who also tricked him into an absurd pact to slay THE Cthulhu, as the ticket to let him through the other world.Ruben urgently sought to escape Gihon, so he unwisely agreed, only to recall who the all-powerful Cthulhu was. It was too late, though.Successfully crossing worlds to Pison—another type of earth—our Fenrir was met with the “Queen of the coast,” also known as Leviathan—a severe pervert.She attacked and defeated him, but when he woke up, she had apparently made a Master-servant pact with him, in his sleep.As they traveled seeking human cities in Pison, our misfortunate wolfie encountered a godman; Jobina, the daughter of Job, the second of the seven mortal powers.Jobina—a masochist with a vendetta against Leviathan, and a tendency to turn everything into a competition—attacked him for being associated with the evil Leviathan, only to be soundly defeated.Shocked by reality, Jobina protested that she also wanted a pact with Ruben, so he’ll coach her to be powerful. And when the time is right, she’ll slay Leviathan!Our easy-to-fool protagonist, and his terrible life choices, agreed, recruiting yet another troublemaker he’d have to babysit.He only wants an easy going life without problems and crisis!The story has a larger plot, where Ruben—and his babies—constantly, “accidentally,” ruin Sarvest—the antagonist—plans.Sarvest is used to dealing with gods and cosmic entities, not an unworthy—yet effective—opponent in a bubbling wolf-turned-human.Ruben later meets what we would call God—a dumb teenager who only cares about entertainment—who also duped Ruben, using his kind-heartedness, into some kind of horrible pact.“The Silent Pact of a Wolf Babysitter” is a story filled with laughs, chaos, and unexpected twists. It follows Ruben’s misadventures as he navigates a world of cosmic powers, absurd pacts, and the challenges of babysitting a group of eccentric and overpowered individuals. With a larger plot involving Satanas’s grand schemes and Ruben’s accidental heroism, this tale promises both humor and a compelling narrative.