Alchemy
錬金術
Tonight I gained two important things that would make my combat repertoire varied. One is a mentality for surprise attacks, while I am able to detect things that have malice, I learned that I was vulnerable when malice is hidden and so decided to find ways to counter it throughout my magic studies.
Also, because of the surprise visit of a magic instructor, I now have my personal teacher in Alchemy. I have now another reason for the Midnight Library Duties.
All of this is thanks to Lunamaia-sensei’s books she had entrusted inside Grim-chan.
“Okay since it is already late, we will have the Alchemy Sessions tomorrow night.” Sera Celesti -my newly found Alchemy Instructor pushed the topic and immediately left through her Spatial Magic.
While true that it was already late for a quick lesson. I am guessing she really just wants to read Lunamaia sensei’s handwritten book.
Now you might wonder that with Sera leaving with MY book, it will disappear and return to ‘The CABINET’ through the Carry-to-Ship Skill, but luckily, I had found out that there is an exploitable or perhaps a method to overstep this rule.
This was by accident while I was still in Amarante. While letting a laundry shop do my clothes I had forgotten about the Carry-to-Ship Skill and left the shop to buy a few things when I came back the clothes were still in the shop. At first, I thought that my area of effect had gotten larger, however, the week after Lady Anna without my permission delivered it to the laundry shop and it had disappeared from their shop and transported to the Grimoire Atelier’s.
The loophole or perhaps a leeway actually lies with me telling them to ‘Take care of My clothes’, meaning I have entrusted them something I own. I also experimented with other words and ‘Lending’ or ‘Renting’ things I own will allow stuffs that to stay where it is as long as the items are still in possession of the person I had lent/rent/had it taken cared off.
With Lunamaia’s books being lent, the ownership is temporarily transferred to Sera Celesti, so long as it is in her possession and has no intention of running off with it, the book will not return to Grimoire Atelier.
Now after doing all morning duties as smoothly as possible to avoid mistakes and other mishaps the day ended and gave way to the Midnight Session about Alchemy.
*****
“Alchemy also handles Imbuing and Duplication of materials.” Sera Celesti had a beautiful instructor feel about her, one that most pubescent boys would fall for in the middle of the class. But as an educator in the previous world, I can’t very well get distracted by her beauty and lose my precious Alchemy learning.
According to Miss Sera’s definition, Alchemy is the ‘Transformation’, ‘Recreation’, and ‘Compounding’ of matter through the process of combination of two or more simpler or composite elements.
She also reiterated that like any other branch of Magic, Alchemy could never create or recreate things from nothing. It still follows the ‘Law of Equivalent Trade’ therefore there is still a need to secure materials for the process.
The method of teaching in my previous world let students experiment on their own and the teachers are only guides to learning. Teachers are more facilitators of learning rather than the absolute knowledgeable person in the room.
I however am a product of the traditional way of learning where the teacher speaks of the theories as I gather as much information as I can. I can do the actual/experimentation on my own when all facts are with me.
That is why having teacher Sera teach all necessary information in front of me traditionally was a godsend, plus with a teacher as beautiful as her, who would not listen. Well, this is so long as I do not get distracted. Thankfully I have Grim-chan remind me from time-to-time.
.LOG {
•You have been staring for more than a minute, CARELESS ONE activates Daze
•Daze is negated by an Unknown Reason.
•Captain! Stop gawking!
•Hahahahaha, maybe we should get you a stretcher soon enough.
}
“Geh!” I was not gawking, it is CARELESS ONE Title fault, and why would I need a stretcher? Really for some reason Grim-chan sometimes say murderous things.
“So!” Sera finishes her primary instructions finally cuts my thought. “So, we will need to experiment something. However, since you are not a student and no materials prepared. You have to get your own materials!”
“What am I making?” I can’t very well have her get materials from school budget getting her sacked on the process, so I am inclined to getting those materials on my own. “What do I need?”
She then listed what I need so I could work on my very first Restorative Potion. The materials are…
*****
The forest illuminated by the beautiful full moon is such a pretty sight. This would have been a good dating spot for two people on a tryst. The only problem is…
.LOG {
•Activated BANISHING LIGHT Skill
•Captain, look at the Moon. Beautiful~
•Yeah, I feel like going on a date…
}
See, even Grim-chan agrees with me. Yes, the problem with this place is that many SPECTRE and UNDEAD type monsters lurking here and there. After all, this place ‘The Moonlight Forest’ is a Natural Haunt – a special place where the UNDEADs and SPECTREs make their homage.
Why am I here? Allow me to go back a few minutes.
“Your first Alchemy project will be to synthesize a Restorative Potion.” Sera smiles so energetic it will sap all your tiredness away. “But unfortunately, you will have to get the materials yourself.”
After giving me the list of ingredients and the process to synthesize a Restorative Potion, she then asked: ‘why is the restorative potion the first to be re-created of all items?’
While there are many reasons as to why, I gave her two.
First is that a healing item is always needed and helpful in injuries and tending to wounds, in any field, may it be for combat or any daily work that have those risks.
The second is because of the process, after looking at the piece of paper she had given me, I immediately understood that with this formula and ingredients, the students will undergo Basic and Composite process of Synthesis in one item.
For the Restorative Potion, these are the main ingredients:
•Any plant with restorative or healing properties (liquid extract);
•Base solution (water); and a
•Alchemic Base Solution (Composite Ingredient)
The first two ingredients are considered Raw Ingredients, these are types of ingredients that are easily procured or gathered and used for its components and can be used for their liquid or powder state, they can also be cooked or through any other process to add them to the mixture.
The last ingredient is a Composite Ingredient. This type of ingredient is first synthesized and will become an active ingredient to other Synthesis Process. Some of these Composite Ingredient have no other usage other than become a secondary or primary base for most basic Synthesis.
For the Alchemy Base Solution, the ingredients are:
•Stone (powdered)
•Base Solution (water)
•Latex
パチパチパチ
“100 points!” She is definitely giving me credit for my profound answer. “Normally you can buy these items in town but…”
Well, it is in the middle of the night, there is no way for me to buy them so I will have to gather them from another place.
This leads me to this haunted forest also known as the Moonlight Forest. A Natural Haunt very close to Academy City, good for gathering materials and training grounds for future Priests and Priestesses. This is where I will gather my ingredients free of charge.
“The forest is the perfect place to gather these simple materials. They are literally everywhere. Now go!” So, she’s not coming with me? “I c-can’t come with you since I still need to read my beloved idol’s book.”
At first, I thought that she just really wanted to read Lunamaia’s books, but the Spectre might be the real reason.
Well, there is no point in standing here antagonizing about the monsters or getting mesmerized by the view of the beautiful moon, after all the ingredients will not come to me. With that said let’s go and forage the Moonlight Forest and get those ingredients.
*****
According to teacher Sera, all items can be found everywhere. However, with so many to choose from, I am somewhat in a predicament. Should I choose the Light Lilies or the Spore Daises… hmmm for the water should I maybe just scoop some water in the lake and for the stone… will anything do?
While straining my vision from left to right appraising items one after another through the Monocle of Appraisal. Something special gets picked up…
. Monocle of Appraisal {
•Moonstone [Item Rank: S; Market Value: 50,001.00 - 100,000.00 Pera; a specialized rock containing the moon’s light]
•Captain, let’s use that.
•If we are going to be Alchemist, Let’s aim for perfection!
}
Although, I really just want to learn the process, Grim-chan’s enthusiasm won me over and decided to look for the stone in the direction the Monocle of Appraisal had directed.
*Clack, clack, clack
While approaching a certain area, the sound of bones cracking started getting louder.
“Who so dares wonder my tomb!?” an eerie voice pulsates in my embers, this is probably an undead, a strong one at that.
.LOG {
•Due to hearing the Voice of the Dead from the ELDER SKELETON
•Induced with fear, all STATS are lowered by 100% for 1 Hour
•Due to FEAR RESISTANCE LVL 9 recovered 70% of the stat and reduced duration to 20 minutes
•Induced with panic 100% resulting to confusion for 1 hour
•Due to PANIC RESISTANCE LVL 9, slightly recovered from confusion, reduced ailment to 70% and duration to 20 minutes
•Captain, be careful the dead beckons, ready for UNDEAD combat.
•Heh, don’t worry about this weakling.
•Due to unknown reasons, Confusion, Panic, Fear are negated
}
“Grim-chan, thanks.” With Grim-chan’s urge, I decided to battle this Rank B monster with everything I got. “Techniques of a Thousand Demons’ Ways – Dance of Holy: Aurora”
Using the skill that took care of the ELDER LICH on the 40th floor of the Nameless Dungeon, I covered the area with Holy Light and while the ELDER SKELETON and its UNDEAD entourage. While weakened, I proceeded to slice and diced the bone to bits. Spoils: Moonstones and an array of bones.
For some reason, the win made me want to cling on Grim-chan’s enthusiasm and started to look for rarer ingredients in the area. Now that I’ve got stones, I just need to fill up my canteens with water and some plants with restorative properties.
Where would you look for rare items? Go for the Boss. Instead of randomly looking at areas, I decided to locate the areas with the most MANA or KI accumulated in the area.
In the pond of the ELDER IMP, I got a bountiful Life Springs, in the trees where an ELDER NECRO keeps jumping, I got Tamarind Tree Saps and in the Garden of the ELDER WRAITH awaits the beautiful Moonlight Lilies.
Though they did put some resistance, I was able to defeat them with moderate to easy difficulty and was able to claim my prize: the ingredients for my first ever Synthesis.
*****
“Master Sera, I have returned.”
“Hmm, took you long enough, but you may start, just need to finish this chapter.”
She was probably focused on that chapter. I can relate, I can never put a good book down, especially once it starts getting to a good part. I am referring to a good novel, she’s reading a reference book though, but to each their own.
I started to follow the simplified procedure Sera had written for me, it should be easier compared to how Lunamaia-sensei had instructed it. So, I was able to follow and got to the last step, however…
While at first it took a red color, which was how it should be normally, it started to turn transparent. Did I perhaps fail?
“Teacher Sera…” depression was evident from my voice.
“Oh, sorry finally finished with that chapter, let us see your…” when she looked at my finished product poured on a vial in my hand, for some reason her beautiful azure eyes glowed with glee. “What kind of ingredients did you use to get such a wonderful potion…?”
“Ha?”
“Synthesized Items are GRADED depending on the ingredients that are used on them.” She turns to me and asks me the same question. “What Items did you use?”
“What happened to the Rank B Monsters guarding the area?” While telling her about where I got the ingredients, she was now more curious with the monsters what a whimsical woman. So, I also told her I defeated them, period. “Y-you defeated them… alone?”
“Ah!” I finally got why she is so flustered, Rank B monsters are said to be monsters that need a party or two to be subjugated, and here I was telling her I defeated them like they were nothing. How should I get out of this? “You see… I…”
