by Yuri Ajin
“And how can we earn Coins?” Kai asked. He remembered the law, which stated that each student had to pay the Abode ten Coins a year. This rule was invented so that the students wouldn’t just sit around.
Now, after the Trial, Kai had one hundred and three Coins and three quarters. By the standards of the rest of the participants, that was a lot. However, he didn’t know how long that money would last.
I’ll need a lot more money to prepare for my breakthrough.
“There are several ways,” Yoh began. “The first and easiest for a beginner is to sell something of value. A little more difficult would be to offer your services if you’re useful or an expert in something. Like a healer, for example. But without a reputation, it’s hard to make money at first. The third way is to buy a house here and rent it. But you gotta invest at least seventy Coins for that. You can also start searching for various rare items in special anomaly zones. The Portal Hall on the Ground floor is used for that. The last option would be to join one of the large zero-level groups, which for some reason like to call themselves factions.”
“Do you have something against it?”
“Yeah! According to the rules of the List of Ten Thousand, only members of the Cloud Ten can create factions. The real factions are supported by the Abode, and their leaders have various advantages. So those fools who call themselves factions here are nothing more than imitators.”
Yoh continued to speak tirelessly. He didn’t pause for more than a few seconds. But since he told Kai important and useful things, he didn’t interrupt him. Eventually, they reached a two-story building surrounded by a high stone fence.
Approaching the small gate, Yoh put his hand on it.
“It’s an array. They know we’re here.” He smiled, looking at Kai, who already saw everything with his energy vision.
One of the doors opened, and a giant came out.
“Yoh! Hey, bro! Long time no see! Where have you been? I thought you had forgotten about us!” he spoke loudly, hugging Yoh tightly.
Kai was surprised. The only giant he had seen before was Malvur, who usually spoke slowly, using short sentences.
“Easy, Easy, Tao,” Yoh said, slapping the giant on the shoulder. It was evident that he didn’t enjoy such hugs. “We’re here on business. My new friend needs a healer.”
Tao let go and looked at Kai, eyeing him from head to toe. He smiled wide and held out his hand.
“My friend’s friend is my friend too!”
Kai decided not to comment on the fact that he was so casually called a friend, and just shook the giant’s hand.
“Oh! You’re strong!” Tao was surprised. “And you’re not even an Exorcist!”
“He was invited into the factions, but he refused.” Yoh sounded like he was bragging.
“What?! Really? Why?” Tao asked with interest.
“I don’t like to be told what to do,” Kai repeated his answer. “And I’d ask you to try not to tell everyone that I was invited to join a faction. I don’t need problems.”
“Oh, sorry! I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. I just didn’t think about it,” Yoh apologized. “I swear I won’t tell anyone else.”
“Silent as a grave,” Tao added. “Okay, come in.”
He took the visitors into the house.
“I’m the guard here,” he told Kai when they entered, and then shouted. “Lady Elea, you have visitors!”
A minute later, a short, pretty girl in a long green robe came down from the second floor.
Kai’s heart skipped a beat. Despite the Cold Void, he still felt a slight sadness. Elea reminded him of Julie so much.
She had the same thick brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. The same facial features. And even a mole on the right cheek. A similar figure and height. There were too many similarities.
The only two things that, apart from race, clearly distinguished Elea from Kai’s sister were the level of development — she was at the final level of the Exorcist Stage — and the white blindfold over her eyes.
Elea was blind.
In this world, it was possible to get back a lost limb, but it was almost impossible to heal the eyes.
But with energy vision, Kai could see much more than others could.
Her astral body is damaged, he noted.
“Yoh.” The girl nodded in greeting as she approached them. Instead of her eyes, she used her aura. She turned to Kai. “You smell like life.” She smiled. “You don’t seem to need my help.”
“I have a friend who needs it.” Kai hesitated for a moment but still said it — his friend. It was the first time he had called anyone that. “He’s in a pocket dimension.”
“I see. Let’s go then. I’ll examine him.”
Kai followed. Elea smelled of the sun, just like his sister.
“Put him on the bed,” she said as soon as they entered the room.
Nodding, Kai teleported Shacks out of the Night Space, after which Elea started working her magic. A few minutes later, she spoke.
“He has a lot of untreated internal injuries, including a concussion. Nothing serious, but if we don’t fix them now, then he’ll inevitably become disabled. The treatment will take about ten days. And he’ll need two weeks on top of that to recover fully. He’s strong. I’m sure he’ll make it.” She smiled. “Healing will cost eight Coins. If you wish, we can form a spirit contract. But that costs seventy Azure Crystals.”
“We can use Azure Crystals here too?”
“Yes, but only for everyday things. The main currency here is still Cloud Coins,” Elea explained. “As far as I understand, you and your friend are newbies? And you’re his guide?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“In that case, raise your left hand, pointing the back of it at your friend. Then say: ‘I authorize Elea to perform the treatment.’ The Abode will understand everything. He’s still a student, which means that, without permission, it’s forbidden to use energy and Forces on him.”
Kai did what he was asked and then paid her.
“The contract isn’t necessary. I trust you,” he added.
“Thank you.” Elea smiled sweetly. “Then I’ll begin preparations for the treatment immediately. You can stay here if you want, considering that you’re his guide.”
Now that Kai got treatment for Shacks, it was time to get down to business. He was going to devote time to his development. But, before starting a breakthrough, he needed resources. He had to find and properly prepare them.
Fortunately, he had someone who was well versed in this matter and who could teach him a thing or two.
It was time for Kai to embark on the Path of Alchemy.
Chapter 9
ALCHEMY LESSONS
Standing near a window on the sixtieth floor of a huge tower, Kai observed the thousands of inhabitants of the underground city.
“We can start,” a voice came from behind his back.
Kai turned to see Rune’Tan in an expensive snow-white robe, standing near a huge table on which many resources, scrolls, flasks, and artifacts were laid out. Across from him, thirty young men and women, who had only recently embarked on the path of cultivation, were sitting at their desks. Nobody paid any attention to Kai. It was as if he didn’t exist.
But in fact, they were the ones who weren’t real. Everything around was only a part of Rune’Tan’s memories, which he projected into his soul world.
Usually, Kai saw Rune’Tan inside his own soul world, where he was locked, but the old man had a separate soul world, into which he had invited his friend. He wanted to give him the most realistic alchemy lesson based on his knowledge and memory.
“You can sit over there,” Rune’Tan added, nodding at a desk that appeared out of nowhere.
Kai did as he was told.
“So, let’s start with the basics.” Rune’Tan finally began his lesson. “What do you know about alchemy?”
“That it’s a certain set of different types of energy, which are found mai
nly in Spirit Plants,” Kai answered.
“Close, but not quite. First, alchemy is for those who want to achieve things with their minds not just their hands, unlike when you create artifacts or techniques. This field of cultivation needs a more subtle approach. You said it right; it’s about different types of energy. To be more precise, it’s about working with a great number of them. Someone stupid could say that alchemy is the same as creating techniques. It isn’t. A truly powerful potion that could rip open the heavens requires dozens of different types of energies and Forces, as well as many hours or days to be completed. You should know that by now...”
“No one can create such a thing on their own,” Kai finished with a nod.
“That’s right. After all, neither you, nor I, nor anyone else would be able to mix so many Paths. And even the most powerful of the True Masters rarely possess more than a dozen elements. This is why we need alchemy to enclose the necessary power inside a drug, which can then be eaten and absorbed. And, as you know, Spirit Herbs and Fruits, as well as some other ingredients, like parts of monsters’ bodies or Spirits, are excellent storages for the energies of various elements.”
“Why can’t several Masters who possess the necessary elements just unite to create the desired drug?”
“Good question. They can. Theoretically, they could even succeed. But the chances of that happening are slim. Do you remember how your sword energy differs from the kind which can be found in a Spirit Plant?”
“My energy belongs to me. And the one in the Plant has a neutral frequency,” Kai answered instantly.
“Exactly. This is why using such ingredients is easy and effective, unlike using the Masters’ energy. Creating a technique together would require incredible synchronization between several Masters, and each one would need to have full control over their energy. However, there’s an even simpler reason as to why they might easily fail. Without suitable storage, the energy and Forces of any element of low or even medium-density would begin to dissipate very quickly. And it would take a lot of effort and resources to create artificial storage. Do you understand now that such a method is not only extremely difficult, but also unreasonably expensive?”
“Yes.” Kai nodded.
“Good. Then let’s move on to the most important thing. In order to make the perfect breakthrough to the Exorcist Stage, you must create a Heavenly Flask of Unlimited Destruction and Recreation.”
“That’s a long name...”
Rune’Tan chuckled.
“It is. Many craftsmen like to give their creations long and pretentious names. Alchemists included.”
“I see. And what do I need to do?”
“You need practice first. You must learn how to create other types of alchemy, because the one you need is one of the most difficult and most powerful drug known to the Divine Empire of Belteise,” Rune’Tan replied. “It took me hundreds of years to hone my alchemy skills before I was able to create it properly. You don’t have that much time, but you can still do it because you have something that gives you a huge advantage over ordinary alchemists. Do you know what that is?” he asked, smiling slyly.
“Energy vision, perfect energy control, and photographic memory,” he answered confidently.
“Exactly! Those three things... And my help, of course!” Rune’Tan exclaimed. “Now let’s start with the basics.”
After that, Kai learned that there were five types of alchemy — healing, combat (temporarily increasing a cultivator’s overall strength or a specific parameter of it), forbidden (dark alchemy), lethal (poisons), and support.
Support drugs were divided into three more categories — body drugs, Forces drugs, and breakthrough drugs. The first was used for hardening the body and mind, restoring stamina and energy, as well as permanently increasing physical parameters. For example, the Flesh Rebirth Elixir that Lex had given Kai before his fight with An’na was partly related to healing alchemy and partly to supporting body alchemy.
Forces drugs were used to temporarily increase the effectiveness of contemplating certain Forces. By absorbing them before meditation, the cultivator would achieve greater results than without them. Such drugs were the cheapest of all support alchemy as they could be made from simple ingredients.
The last on the list were the breakthrough drugs. They were used specifically at the moment of a breakthrough. They could save the cultivator’s strength for the first push, increase the efficiency of the energy used, and significantly reduce the pressure put on the cultivator during the transition to a new level. And, most importantly, they strengthened the cultivator’s spirit parts such as the Source, the Meridians, and the astral body later on, which made it possible to achieve the highest quality breakthrough.
In addition to rank, drugs were also divided according to the type of structure of Forces in them. The simplest remedies were pills. Slightly above them were potions, which had a milder effect. After taking pills, energy usually began to rage in the cultivator’s body, trying to escape, while the energy in the potions flowed like a calm river. Therefore, it was much easier to absorb a potion, but it also cost more.
There were also elixirs, which didn’t just pour energy into the cultivator’s body, but absorbed into it on their own.
The most effective type of drugs were infusions. They were pretty much the same as elixirs, the only difference being that they were custom-made for a particular cultivator’s needs. This drug merged with the body on its own.
However, if a cultivator absorbed an infusion that wasn’t meant for them, it would be like a lethal poison.
“I see.” Kai nodded, glancing at the students who continued sitting at their desks, completely oblivious to the ongoing alchemy lesson. They were listening to something else. “Were you their teacher?” Kai suddenly asked.
Rune’Tan suddenly froze. Perhaps, for the first time during this conversation, he paid attention to the other students in his memory. Sadness flashed in his eyes for a moment.
“Yes, I was... It was a kind of a hobby between the futile attempts to unravel the secrets of the Azure Cube. All these children were born in the city built by those who agreed to come with me to study the divine artifact. It dragged on for centuries, and new generations had to grow up away from the majestic world-capital, in a peripheral world forgotten by everyone, where there was almost no energy at all. So, passing on my knowledge to them was the least I could do... Let’s go back to alchemy. It’s time to finally show you how the cooking process works.”
Rune’Tan moved his hand over the table and various resources appeared on it.
“The first step, of course, is gathering resources. The higher their quality, the better the drug will be. All the collected ingredients must be thoroughly cleansed. That way, we obtain the essence of each resource. All of their energy and Forces are concentrated in it. At this stage, we determine the quality of the drug in terms of effectiveness.”
Rune’Tan put all the resources into a special transparent cauldron, which had energy-insulating properties, and then covered it with a transparent lid that served as a conductor. He put both palms on it.
“The best way to remove all the dirt is to destroy it! For this, alchemists usually use fire.” Flames began to gently envelop the ingredients, without burning them. “Almost all alchemists study the Path of Fire from the very beginning of their development.”
“I thought you chose the Path of Soul, Body, and Space...” Kai commented. “You never said anything about Fire.”
“Hmm...” Rune’Tan shrugged and grinned. “You never asked.”
“You’re right.” Kai nodded. “Can you explain how the fire destroys only the impurities, without affecting the ingredients, and what should I do if I don’t own this element?”
“Anything that has no energy or Forces is an impurity. Therefore, it’s important to have a high level of energy control and good instinct in order to determine what is useful and what isn’t. You still need a lot of practice to gain experience...
Usually, you have only one chance to get to the essence. If you try to repeat the cleansing process, resources are likely to disintegrate,” Rune’Tan added. “So, it usually takes a huge amount of money to get started with alchemy, but in your case, you don’t need to worry about that, as perfect energy control and energy vision allow you to see where the impurities are. All you need to do is to focus,” he explained. “I believe you can use Yin to cleanse the ingredients.”
“Yin?” Kai tilted his head, and then darkness began to pour out of his raised palm. Focusing on it, he was able to shape it into black flames that danced in front of his face.
“Yes. It’s probably even better than fire. It has the greatest destructive potential among all the elements known to me. If you can’t do it, then the power of the Path of Sword should be your last resort. Though, it’d be better to just find another alchemist to clean the ingredients...”
Kai thought for a second and then squeezed his hand. The black flame was extinguished instantly.
“Old man, I have an idea.” He looked up at Rune’Tan.
“I’m listening.”
“What if I cover the ingredients’ essences with Cold Void and use it as a kind of barrier for Yin, so I wouldn’t accidentally damage them?”
Lost in thought, Rune’Tan looked up at the ceiling, and then a wide smile spread on his face.
“Under normal circumstances, I’d say that that’s not a good idea. Using the element that’s perfect for damaging the resources as a shield for their essences doesn’t make a lot of sense. But given your perfect control of it, you’re probably the only one who could handle the ingredients gently enough and not damage internal structures... Good idea!” Rune’Tan grinned cunningly.
In response, Kai tried to smile slightly as he contemplated his new idea.
Luckily, two of my concepts can block each other... But I wonder if I could somehow use Yang too? I still have a poor understanding of this concept, so I should experiment further...
“Well, let’s go on,” Rune’Tan continued the lesson. “After cleansing the ingredients and obtaining all their essences, you should put them in the Alchemical Cube.” He pointed to an artifact on the table. “This artifact is capable of very subtle spatial manipulations, thanks to which alchemists transform essences into threads, which are then weaved according to the desired pattern. And there are hundreds of thousands of them.”