Reincarnated With the World Domination System

After taking a quick shower, Rael slipped out of the orphanage and headed for the junkyard.

He followed the same route as usual and entered a hidden base the orphans used for their meetings.

No normie knew about this base, and most would never dare to venture inside because it lay beneath a pile of broken machines and scraps.

Only little kids like Rael could squeeze through, making it a safe spot no adult could hope to find.

A few orphans were inside, and they recognized Rael as one of their own, happily sharing their spoils with him.

Long, spiky metal rods were the current fad among orphans, favored by those who hadn't awakened their abilities yet.

They used these rods to scare normies and make them think twice about picking on them.

Usually, it wasn't enough to keep normies away, but it was better than nothing.

Of course, Rael didn't like seeing kids play with such dangerous items, but he couldn't stop them.

One of the kids he'd faced earlier could literally fire a deadly beam, which was far riskier than any metal rod.

If Rael scolded them for using weapons, they'd only look down on him, and he'd distance himself from the group.

Dominica had warned him that his older mindset would cause trouble, so he kept most of his thoughts to himself around these young peers.

"I need some steel," Rael said.

"Heh! We have found some good-looking steel!" one of the orphans replied.

Even kids their age knew that steel was valuable.

In this particular junkyard, a recent batch of thick rails had arrived.

Trains no longer needed rails in this era, replaced by a metro-like system that wasn't bound by tracks.

Rael's country had an advanced train infrastructure centuries ago, so it would take a long time for all those rails to be recycled into something else.

Batch after batch was sent from one junkyard to another.

This is great timing! Those rails should be huge!

Upon seeing the mound of rails, Rael confirmed his guess.

Each rail was thick and heavy, perfect for his first creations.

Dominica would soon scan them and copy them into his virtual reality training room, so he could practice before building them in real life.

He wouldn't waste actual resources by training there, yet twelve hours felt too long to wait.

Unable to hold back his excitement, Rael decided to test his second innate ability on the spot.

One wasted rail wouldn't hurt him or the junkyard's owner.

He sat beside the pile and willed his ability into view.

A system window, similar to Dominica's prompts, appeared in front of him.

Reaching out, Rael gently touched the rail's cold surface.

The Maker's Core scanned the piece and displayed its properties in Rael's system window.

I see. High-carbon alloy, rigid, dense, exceptional durability. I need to build my first Steelborn to spy on Sister Sophia and confirm her identity. Something like a flying drone with spider legs would be ideal, and these rails are better suited for a defensive Steelborn!

No sooner had the idea entered Rael's mind than he knew he couldn't give it up.

He examined the rail's properties, confirmed his plan, and tapped the screen several times.

Like our base in this junkyard, I want something akin to a turtle shell. A Steelborn Tortoise, one that can hide me and others inside its defensive shell. It won't move fast, but it should still move. I need a solid plan. If I recall correctly, Milford's defensive Steelborns…

Recalling the details he'd learned from Milford's journey, Rael combined that knowledge with his own creativity to form a rough blueprint.

He doubted simply bending the rail would work, so he planned out all the parts needed for a proper shell.

Once he finished laying out his ideas on The Maker's Core screen, a notification popped up.

[Would you like to absorb the rail to begin the process of creating one of twenty-eight required shell plates?]

Rael nodded.

[Use your Gauntlet Of The Maker to absorb the rail.]

It's strange without Dominica's voice.

Rael transformed his right hand into a steel glove with black nails and mechanical joints.

When he touched the rail, his palm emitted a purple glow that sucked the rail inside, just like his usual metal-pulling ability.

But this time, the heavy rail kept adding weight to his hand with every second.

When the rail vanished, Rael's hand was so heavy that it dropped to the ground, pinning him there.

Meanwhile, The Maker's Core heated the rail inside his hand, melting and shaping it into a single plate over the course of an hour.

Rael lay on the ground, watching the sky grow dark as the process ran its course.

An hour for one plate… Maybe my stats are too low, or my ambition is just too high. Either way, finishing my first Steelborn will take time. Where am I even going to stash it, since it'll be huge? I really need Dominica's help and might use EXP points to get something like an MMO inventory system. That would be awesome.

When the hour passed, the first plate appeared from Rael's hand in a burst of purple light and landed beside him.

It was bizarre to watch such a massive object emerge from his small hand.

I really am in the future with these abilities, huh?

Rael chuckled, then asked the other orphans to help carry the plate to their base.

Everyone returned to the orphanage afterward, and Rael went straight to sleep with a grin.

In the morning, Dominica's voice woke Rael, sounding more emotional than usual.

[Lord Rael, I've finished creating your virtual reality training room and my avatar. Would you like to go there right now?]

"Hell yeah! We have a lot to talk about, Dominica! I made some progress on my first Steelborn, and I need you to check the blueprint. I'm sure there are mistakes, so I need your opinion, and maybe I'll buy more Steelborn knowledge with EXP."

[My deepest congratulations, Lord Rael!]

"You sound so excited! Haha!"

[For I am, Lord Rael.]

Not only had Rael worked on his own while Dominica was busy, he still wanted her feedback.

Dominica felt both thrilled and appreciated, a feeling she hadn't expected to have on this extraordinary journey.

Rael treated her like a true partner, changing the course of her life from what she was originally designed for.

Meanwhile, Ali climbed up Rael's bunk bed and poked him.

"It's morning," he said.

"I want to sleep more," Rael replied.