Lewd Skill Stealing System-Chapter 8: What’s this guy’s deal?

The old woman stretched her back slightly, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Alright, Lina, you explain the basics to our curious guest. I'll be at the counter."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out, leaving Karl alone with Lina in the alchemy lab.

Lina, still a bit reserved, glanced at him before moving toward the central workbench. On its surface was a large magic circle, carefully drawn with dark ink, its intricate symbols glowing faintly. Next to it, a handful of mana crystals pulsed with a soft, rhythmic light, almost like they were breathing.

Karl leaned in, curious but also looking for ways to exploit something.

Lina cleared her throat. "So... alchemy is all about understanding and manipulating the properties of matter," she began, her voice quiet at first but growing steadier as she spoke. She pointed at the circle, tracing its arcane symbols with her fingertip. "These symbols each hold a meaning—fire, water, transmutation, stability. By combining them in different ways, we can create reactions that wouldn't naturally occur."

Karl nodded slowly.

Surprisingly, he was getting it.

For all his degenerate thoughts and questionable morality, Karl wasn't an idiot. Back in his previous life, chemistry had been his strong suit, and from what Lina was explaining, alchemy wasn't too different—just with magic thrown into the mix.

Lina continued, her confidence growing as she went on. "This—" she gestured to a small, sharp-edged crystal "—is an amplification catalyst. It increases the strength of the reaction. But if you mix it with an unstable compound—" she lifted a vial filled with a thick, bubbling red liquid "—it could cause an explosion."

Karl's eyes flickered with interest. Explosions, huh? Useful.

Lina sighed, shaking her head. "That's why people think alchemy is dangerous. But the truth is, when done right, it's completely safe. It's all about control and balance."

Karl smirked. Yeah, yeah, science but with magic. Got it.

Still, something about this whole thing excited him—not just because of the potential power behind it, but because he was realizing something.

Alchemy was an exploitable science.

And Karl loved exploits.

[You're probably cooking up something perverted again, aren't you?]

Karl narrowed his eyes at the glowing screen in front of him. What the fuck? No. This is actually something I'm interested in, you know.

[Wow. The almighty degenerate pervert actually using his brain for once? Instead of thinking with his dick? Unbelievable.]

Karl scoffed, loudly.

"Huh?"

Lina flinched, startled by his sudden reaction. She blinked at him, looking slightly concerned. "Did I... say something wrong?"

Karl stiffened. Shit. Shit. Shit. He had reacted out loud. Now he had to cover this up.

Damn it, System, you always get me into trouble.

Thinking fast, he crossed his arms, putting on a thoughtful expression, the kind that made people think he was some deep intellectual rather than an idiot who had just argued with a voice in his head. "This should be explored more," he said, his tone serious.

"This kind of phenomenon always excites me." He gestured toward the magic circle, nodding to himself as if he had spent years pondering this exact thing.

"Something that can be controlled by humans... This could give us an advantage. It could decentralize power."

Lina blinked again.

She tilted her head, processing his words, then, to his surprise, she muttered, almost to herself, "Power being decentralized, huh?"

For a brief moment, Karl could see something in her expression—a spark, an idea taking shape.

Interesting.

A brief silence settled over the room, the air thick with unspoken thoughts—Lina still lost in contemplation, Karl enjoying the idea that, for once, he had managed to sound intelligent.

Knock.

Knock.

The sound echoed through the wooden door, snapping Lina out of her thoughts. She turned and walked over, opening it with a soft creak.

"Hey, Lina, how are you?" a deep, rough voice called out.

Karl immediately sized the guy up with a single, practiced glance. Hmm... Shorter than me. Not really handsome. His clothes? Farming gear. Probably works in the fields. Technically, he's no better than me—that's good.

[Don't you feel ashamed comparing yourself to some random guy?]

Nope. Karl's inner monologue was swift and absolute.

Meanwhile, Lina had lit up the moment she saw the guy.

"Oh! Hi!" she greeted, her voice carrying an excited lilt.

Karl narrowed his eyes. She's way too happy to see this dude.

The guy opened his mouth to respond, but before he could even get a syllable out, Lina's mother's voice rang from the other room.

"Lina! I need your help for a moment!"

Lina quickly turned to Karl and the newcomer. "Ah, sorry! I'll be right back!" She hurried away, leaving Karl alone with the guy.

And just like that, the atmosphere shifted.

The stranger stood there, now silent, his gaze flickering toward Karl.

Karl, still lounging against the table, smirked. Alright, buddy, what's your deal? A boyfriend?

Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Karl, of course, was completely unbothered, occasionally shooting sarcastic remarks at the system in his head.

[So, what's your game plan? Gonna seduce the farmer boy too?]

Shut up.

[Or maybe you're just enjoying the awkwardness. Feasting on the discomfort like a true menace.]

I'm not that petty.

A long pause.

[...You totally are.]

Before Karl could retort, the other guy finally caved under the weight of the silence.

"So... what's your name?" he asked, his expression polite but tinged with discomfort.

Karl tilted his head slightly, giving a lopsided smile. "Karl. And you?"

"Nathan."

Karl nodded in fake acknowledgment, as if the name mattered in the slightest. He decided to probe a little. "You and Lina seem pretty close."

At that, Nathan's face lit up. "Did it seem like that?" He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, we've been childhood friends since forever. She doesn't know it, but I have this huge crush on her."

Karl's brain short-circuited for a second.

No way. No actual way.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

From the outside, he maintained a friendly smile, nodding along like he totally cared. But internally?

Absolute, unfiltered disgust.

You mean to tell me... this absolute farmhand, this sweaty, dirt-covered peasant, is crushing on the girl I just found out has a mana pool that could put nobles to shame?

The system, of course, was thriving in his suffering.

[Oh no. Oh dear. How will you ever recover from this devastating revelation?]

Karl resisted the urge to roll his eyes. I swear, if this turns into some sad little love story where he confesses, gets rejected, and I have to console him—I'm throwing myself out the window.