"Mr. Li Lin, would you prefer coffee or tea?"
Inside the lavishly decorated reception room of the Kiramman estate, a maid was preparing tea for Li Lin.
"Tea, please. Thank you."
"You're too kind; it's my duty," the maid replied.
She placed a cup of subtly fragrant tea in front of Li Lin on the table.
"Lady Kiramman will come to see you after her interview with the students today. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call for me; I'll be just outside," she said, then curtsied to Li Lin and exited the room.
With no one around, Li Lin, who had been tense, finally let out a sigh of relief, muttering to himself, "Ah... It's not easy even in this different world."
Li Lin was a transmigrator who had recently found himself in this world, taking over the identity of a young Ionian boy who had been doing odd jobs at the Sun Gates harbor.
With his extensive "knowledge" of various games, movies, and novels, as well as the memories of the boy whose body he now inhabited, he quickly figured out what kind of world he had landed in—the Rune Terra of League of Legends, a place known as Piltover in the Valoran Continent.
Since his "birthplace" had randomly landed in the cultural center of the entire Valoran continent, he naturally wasn't content with just being a laborer and scraping by.
In this city full of steampunk aesthetics, fantasy, and a historical divergence from reality, the city known for innovation and bearing the moniker "City of Progress," Piltover, anyone who understood innovation and had dreams could reach the pinnacle of life with relative ease.
The annual Progress Day was approaching, and with the modern knowledge in his head, Li Lin quickly set his sights on a goal:
Initially, he thought about becoming a plagiarist, copying novels, comics, and scripts he'd read in his previous life into this world.
It was the easiest and simplest way to become famous, and after all, who would come to another world to accuse him of copyright infringement?
However, when an emotionless, mechanical-sounding notification echoed in his mind, his plans changed...
[Name: Li Lin]
[Occupation: Mechanic]
[Level: 1]
[Health Points: 465/465]
[Mana Points: 50/50]
[Combat Power: 5]
[Mastered Skills: Basic Fabrication, Data Mind]
[Wealth: 0 Blue Essence, 0 Orange Essence]
[Insufficient level, functions locked...]
After awakening his "golden finger," the system had generated a Mechanic occupation for him and thoughtfully provided him with the skill, Data Mind.
Data Mind allowed him to temporarily digitize the world before his eyes, much like a video game, by expending mana points.
For instance, when reading a book, he no longer needed to read it word by word; instead, a progress bar would appear. Once the progress bar was filled, he would have a complete understanding of the book's contents.
With this skill, Li Lin created his "letter of introduction" to the Kiramman family based on his understanding of a plethora of mechanical principles from Piltover, combined with the knowledge he had acquired in school.
Given the current state of technology in Piltover, which was primarily at the steam technology level and had only slightly ventured into alchemical technology, without even experiencing an industrial revolution, energy-consuming devices relied on Hextech crystals.
However, based on his background knowledge, the technology of Hextech crystals was monopolized by the Ferros family, where Camille resided. These crystals were expensive, environmentally harmful, and unstable.
Taking all this into account, he decided to introduce a more economically practical "electricity" to this world.
This would not only help him quickly establish a foothold in the city of progress but also align with his role as a Mechanic.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Li Lin picked up the slightly cooled tea and took a sip, his gaze wandering around the opulent reception room.
The most conspicuous element was a large family portrait hanging on the wall next to the sofa, leading to the second floor.
The Kiramman family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Kiramman and a young girl holding a Mauser rifle.
Caitlyn Kiramman, the daughter of the Kiramman family, would become the Sheriff of Piltover in the future.
The reason Li Lin had chosen to join the Kiramman family was precisely because of her.
As one of the champions in the game League of Legends, Caitlyn was practically a protagonist in this region of Piltover according to the lore.
While Li Lin's gaze lingered on the family portrait, he noticed a figure at the corner of the stairs on the second floor out of the corner of his eye.
When he shifted his line of sight, he was surprised to find a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to the little girl in the family portrait but appeared much older.
She possessed deep azure eyes, and her dark purple hair was tied into a short ponytail that hung down behind her. She was dressed in a brown hunter's outfit, with a Bilgewater-style Mauser rifle slung over her shoulder.
Just as he was thinking about Caitlyn, she appeared...
After getting a clear look at the figure, Li Lin immediately put down his cup and stood up. "May the gears turn in your favor, Miss Kiramman."
"May the gears turn in your favor, sir."
Caitlyn nodded slightly, coming down the stairs and stopping beside Li Lin, curiously sizing up the young man who was about her age.
His clothes were roughly made, and the fabric seemed to be the cheapest available on the market. He probably wasn't a member of any prominent family.
He looked a bit thin, as though he might be malnourished. This appearance wasn't typical of someone from Piltover or Zaun; he seemed to be from the east.
Incidentally, Progress Day was approaching, and her family had been recruiting apprentices these days. He must be here for an apprenticeship interview.
But interviews were usually conducted in the interview room. Being invited to the drawing-room, served tea, and all that, suggested that he must possess some special talent to have caught Mother's attention...
Caitlyn quickly analyzed the information she had just observed and then withdrew her gaze.
"Congratulations. My mother rarely takes such an interest in someone. The last one was Jayce, I believe you just met him."
"Um... Thank you."
Li Lin scratched his head, momentarily confused about how Caitlyn knew all this without being present. But thinking of Caitlyn as one of Piltover's top detectives, it made sense.
"Miss Kiramman, are you preparing to go hunting?"
"Yes, I enjoy tracking wild deer in the forest or practicing my marksmanship with wild rabbits," Caitlyn smiled. "It's one of the few leisure activities my mother allows within her boundaries."
Just as Caitlyn finished speaking, there was a creaking sound from the door leading to the hallway, the same door Li Lin had passed through when he arrived. Mr. and Mrs. Kiramman entered.
Upon seeing her parents, Caitlyn immediately put on a sweet smile. "Mom, Dad, did the interviews go well today?"
"Oh, may the gears turn, my dear. Apart from the first young man from Ionia, the rest of the apprentices were a complete mess, none of them passed..." Caitlyn's father noticed Li Lin standing by the sofa. His previously somewhat gloomy expression instantly changed, and he smiled.
"Yes, it's this fine young man. Looks like you've already met. His intellect rivals Jayce's!"
"Is that so..." Caitlyn reevaluated Li Lin with an odd gleam in her eye. It was the first time she had heard her father praise someone like this. Not even Jayce had received such treatment on his first visit.
And Jayce was considered a genius inventor at Piltover University, destined for great achievements.
What kind of invention had this Ionian youth designed to earn such favor from her father? And why was he being compared to Jayce?
With doubts in her heart, Caitlyn became quite interested in Li Lin.
"Well, Cait, if you're heading out to the outskirts, you should go now. We have some important matters to discuss." Caitlyn's mother adjusted her clothes and added, "Remember not to come back too late."
"Understood, Mom."
Caitlyn waved her hand at her parents and then turned to Li Lin, nodding to him before leaving the house.
Now, the drawing-room was only left with Li Lin and Mr. and Mrs. Kiramman.
"Li Lin, I hope it's alright if I call you that? After all, we're going to be spending a lot of time together, and I don't like overly formal titles."
"At home, you can call me Mrs. Cassandra, and my husband Mr. Tobias. But outside, you'll have to address me as Councilor Kiramman."
Cassandra and Tobias sat down opposite Li Lin.
"Understood, Mrs. Cassandra." Li Lin said respectfully.
"Please have a seat. No need to be too formal; our family is different from the Medarda family. We don't have strict household rules."
Cassandra raised her right leg and crossed it over her left, folding her hands on her lap. She leaned slightly against the back of the sofa.
"When it comes to the matter at hand, Li Lin, I believe you're a smart individual. So, let's stop with the pleasantries and get straight to the point..."