Arthur stared in disbelief at the book in his hands and then glanced at the prompt from the Disassembler.
For a moment, he felt completely bewildered.
How could you disassemble a book?
Aren't books meant for reading?
Alright, the remark above was just Arthur's tsukkomi (commentary), but the shock he felt was genuinely overwhelming.
Initially, Arthur thought the Disassembler could only disassemble weapons. Later, he discovered that even clothes could be disassembled. Well, clothes could be considered a type of equipment... but a book?
Although the book in his hand looked about as thick as a brick and could probably cause quite a bit of pain if used to smack someone on the head, it was by no means a reason for a book to be disassembled!
Moreover, what could you gain from disassembling it?
His curiosity surged!!!!
Would it disassemble into a pile of books again? Turning the books meant for reading into something you could smack people with? Well, that would be quite an imaginative turn of events!
Glancing at Dr. Erskine, Arthur wondered if the old man would go crazy if he disassembled his books.
"Oh, by the way."
Dr. Erskine seemed to remember something and suddenly turned around, startling Arthur, who was just contemplating disassembling the books.
The book in his hand almost slipped away! It tossed and turned in mid-air several times before Arthur managed to catch it securely.
Sighing in relief, Arthur looked at Dr. Erskine.
Dr. Erskine, with a puzzled expression on his face, turned his head back as if he had forgotten everything he wanted to say.
When Arthur put the book back, he turned to Dr. Erskine again. "Oh right, oh right... Your room is across the hall. Also, when you have nothing to do, feel free to move around. You don't have to sit around in my room. Well, when we're here, at least we'll be safe. You can do whatever you want, like shopping or something. Of course, it's up to you. Once I'm engrossed in my work, I might forget the time and neglect your situation. Please don't mind."
Dr. Erskine opened a drawer, took out a key, and tossed it to Arthur before he turned back to his work.
Arthur stood in place for a while, then picked up his luggage, opened the door, and left.
The layout of the room across the hall was basically the same.
After putting his things down and doing a little tidying up, Arthur took a pistol, tucked it into his waist, and left.
He needed to verify the discovery he made just now, which was crucial for him!
...
...
Bookstore!
There was a bookstore not too far from where he was staying. The storefront wasn't large, but walking in gave a sense of being immersed in a sea of books.
However, there weren't many customers in the store right now.
After all, it was wartime, and the fact that the bookstore could open its doors was already commendable.
The owner was a youngster in his twenties, leaning against the counter, with an absentminded look on his face.
Facing Arthur's arrival, he didn't even glance at him, as if there were no such person. It was unclear what he was thinking.
Arthur didn't bother with the youth's attitude. After entering the bookstore, he casually looked around and then went to a blind spot where the boss couldn't see. He randomly picked up a book that recorded who knows what...
[Do you want to Disassemble a psychology book?]
"This really works!!!!"
Arthur took a deep breath, finding this quite unbelievable.
After disassembling these things, what exactly could he obtain?
He didn't immediately disassemble; instead, he began to let his thoughts run wild!
Now was wartime, and he was undoubtedly set as a warrior.
What could a warrior do during wartime? Naturally, fight on the front lines, dance with death.
This was fundamentally inconsistent with Arthur's ultimate plan of staying alive till the end.
Although he was currently in the rear area, it was by no means peaceful. Dr. Erskine himself was a very troublesome figure.
It could be said that once the Super Soldier serum research was successful, this amiable man would become a thorn in Hydra's eyes, a stab in the flesh— a presence that must be eliminated!
And protecting Dr. Erskine would inevitably entangle Arthur in this chaos!
Arthur was not very willing... The saying (when people die, birds fly upside down, undying for ten thousand years) was forced out in desperate circumstances.
In fact, the continuation of this phrase would be (if you can survive, just survive), making it perfect.
The upper line is: (when people die, birds fly upside down), the lower line is: undying (undying for ten thousand years), and the horizontal scroll... if you can survive, just survive!
However, following the current course, he would probably not survive for long.
But the sudden appearance of the Disassembler's quirk gave Arthur a glimmer of hope!
"If... I change my character, what will happen?"
He rubbed his chin and pondered a strategy. Half an hour later, Arthur moved all the books related to genetics from the bookstore.
Actually, Arthur didn't know much about whether these were books on genetics. After all, it wasn't possible for every book to have 'Introduction to Genetics' written on it or directly have the word 'Genetics' imprinted.
But fortunately, Arthur didn't need to understand. He only needed to put his hand on the book to determine its field.
Psychology, genetics, physics, and even mysticism... Although the bookstore was small, it had a rich collection.
Various categories were available inside the bookstore, although not in large quantities. This was also the reason Arthur could take away all the genetics books.
Of course, the cost paid for this was... Arthur had almost taken away all of his cash.
Renting was okay, but buying was too damn expensive!
Saying that knowledge is priceless? It's already said to be 'priceless'; now, you're putting a price on it. Believe it or not, I'll report you to the consumer association!
With a mind full of grievances and a pile of books, Arthur left the bookstore.
Finding a secluded corner, he placed everything into the Disassembler's space, leaving only two books in his hands.
He now had a small plan... The reason for exclusively selecting genetics books was not without purpose.
In this world, having talent and publishing papers didn't immediately gain approval. Academic discussions have always been accompanied by countless verbal battles... You say I'm talking nonsense, and I say you're spouting crap.
And if a soldier suddenly produced a paper on genetics, no one would pay attention. Subconsciously, they would assume it was just nonsense.
So, to change his character, Arthur needed to start by changing his image from a brawny soldier.
The first step... would be to become a knowledgeable soldier.
Next... he needed a 'guide' to lead him into this completely different field.
The best candidate was currently around him, which was why Arthur chose genetics.
Of course, the premise of all this still depended on what he could harvest by disassembling these books tonight.
...
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