Chapter Seventeen: The First Alchemy

Qi Xiao took a deep breath, pushed aside all distracting thoughts, and prepared to begin his first real attempt at alchemy.

Clearing his mind, the first thing he needed to consider was what type of weapon to forge. In his previous life, Qi Xiao had studied design and was a devoted weapon enthusiast, having pored over countless blueprints. Even though he could now only recall the schematics for relatively simple weapons, he was confident that after a period of cultivation, once he became a wizard, he would be able to remember every blueprint he had seen in detail.

Ideally, he would have liked to create a firearm, as such weapons could inflict severe damage upon most elemental and mystical wizard apprentices, and even those with bloodline gifts might not withstand bullets at the apprentice stage. Unfortunately, although he had studied many firearm designs, he could not recall them completely; besides, the process of crafting a gun was far too complex. Therefore, he decided to begin with a cold weapon.

There were many options for cold weapons, and though Qi Xiao had several ideas, he ultimately settled on forging a blade. The main reason was practical—there was already a mold available, and he could simply make a few modifications to it.

Qi Xiao felt somewhat resigned. Despite appearances, enchantment studies did not seem to require the same perfect blending of materials during weapon forging as metallurgy did, but as an alchemist, he was still expected to participate in the most basic process of shaping weapons from raw materials.

To accomplish this, he first needed to learn three level-zero cantrips: Melting, Solidification, and Shaping. Qi Xiao had not yet studied these spells, so he could only rely on the furnace and the mold to substitute for his own efforts.

Though alchemy bore some resemblance to physics and chemistry, its underlying principles were vastly different. The core of alchemy lay in “transformation,” but unlike physics and chemistry, where every change followed fixed formulas and recipes, alchemy was mutable due to the involvement of magical power. Perhaps with exhaustive study, one could eventually compile a precise, scientific formula to control the process, but at present, Qi Xiao could not approach it as he would chemistry.

To Qi Xiao, the furnace itself was the epitome of unscientific. All he had to do was place the blueprint on top, put the materials in according to the specified ratio, insert a magic crystal, turn on the switch, place the mold beneath the outlet, and the corresponding weapon would be automatically produced.

Qi Xiao began sketching on the available mold, focusing mainly on the quantity and proportions of the materials. Even in the field of enchanted runes, there were significant differences in approach. The first method relied primarily on raw materials; enchantment here was about drawing out and fusing the extraordinary powers inherent in the materials themselves, creating a more perfect whole—an idea that resonated with the harmonizing school of metallurgy.

The second method took runes as its core, with materials serving only to provide magical energy and stability, their innate properties less important. This was unique to the school of enchantment and was the main reason many looked down on it, refusing to consider it a true branch of alchemy.

Yet this method of enchanting guaranteed a baseline for alchemical products, allowing alchemists to function even in poor conditions. Had Qi Xiao relied solely on traditional alchemy at the recruitment fair, he would not have survived to tell the tale.

The simplest distinction between the two approaches was this: the first type of rune produced different effects depending on the materials used, while the second type produced the same effect regardless of the materials chosen.

This doctrinal debate had little impact on Qi Xiao. His philosophy was always to use whatever worked best and suited the current situation. Without question, it was time for him to begin another round of enchantment-focused alchemy.

The laboratory’s storeroom was well stocked—one of the rooms was dedicated entirely to alchemical materials, and Qi Xiao was carefully making his selections.

For those who specialized in the pure rune-based school of enchantment, the primary concern was the stability and durability of the materials, not how they interacted with each other. Still, the materials could not be chosen carelessly; incompatible materials had to be avoided.

Qi Xiao did not spend long searching before emerging with a sack of minerals—the main ingredients being Dragonbreath Stone, Alkali Copper, Iridescent Alloy, and five others.

Dragonbreath Stone came in various grades. For instance, stones from a dragon’s lair could reach wizard-level magical quality, while the piece Qi Xiao had was merely infused with the faint aura of a magical beast with a trace of draconic blood. It was decent, but hardly rare or precious.

As the materials were fed into the furnace, it rumbled to life, flames igniting within. Qi Xiao crouched beside it, eyes shining with anticipation.

For equipment of this caliber, crafting such a weapon was a simple task. In less than two minutes, a standard longsword was “spit out.” Qi Xiao touched it with the back of his hand—astonishingly, it was already cool to the touch.

Without hesitation, for the birth of a new weapon was the best moment for engraving, he pulled out his burin and began carving into the hilt.

Basic runes were distinct patterns, each imparting a specific effect when inscribed, but to make them truly effective in enchantment, one had to combine them, breaking down an entire rune into different lines and recombining them into a more complex pattern known as a magic sigil.

Every rune, depending on how it was combined with others, the depth of its lines, their curvature, and size, took on different meanings.

When engraving the “Explosion” rune, Qi Xiao chose a version that would detonate upon receiving a heavy impact, though there were also methods for immediate detonation upon completion. Altogether, the various runes and their countless engraving methods could total over ninety million combinations. Even though Qi Xiao had only been granted the most basic few hundred by the system, it was already the most generous of beginner’s gifts.

At this moment, the magic sigil he was engraving included the fundamental runes of Fire, Air, Light, and others, combined in a specific sequence to create a complete sigil.

This sigil was recorded in the comprehensive beginner’s manual, and being able to inscribe it marked one as a true apprentice alchemist. Qi Xiao believed the system’s standards to be rather strict—among real wizards, even someone who could only crudely carve and activate runes would be respectfully called an alchemist. Otherwise, there would not be so many apprentices, armed with just one or two rune techniques, giving enchantment studies a bad reputation.

On this first formal attempt at alchemy, Qi Xiao’s arms began to tremble. He had no innate magical energy yet, and engraving runes consumed considerable physical strength. Nonetheless, the final cut was steady, and he completed the work successfully.

Admiring his first alchemical creation—even though it was a standard longsword—it looked entirely transformed after the completion of the core magic sigil, as if a coiling dragon was etched upon it, radiating an intimidating aura.

Before starting, Qi Xiao had already guessed the likely effect of a successful engraving, and upon inspection, his expectations were confirmed.

He ran his hand across the blade, naming it the Dragonbreath Saber. Its hardness and sharpness alone could pierce the magical defenses of a novice wizard apprentice, and even pose a threat to those of intermediate rank.

When magical energy was used to activate the sigil, each swing of the blade would unleash a stream of flame, like a dragon’s breath.

For this feature alone, the saber could be classified as a weapon fit for an intermediate wizard apprentice.