The alchemy hall was different from the training grounds.
No noise.
No chaos.
Only—
Silence… and precision.
Rows of stone tables filled the room, each equipped with glass containers, measuring tools, and small rune burners.
The air smelled of herbs and faint chemicals.
Sol entered quietly and took a position near the back.
As always—
Not too noticeable.
Instructor Seris stood at the front once again.
But this time—
Her tone was colder.
"Alchemy is not magic."
She placed a small herb on the table.
"It is control over reactions."
With a wave of her hand—
The rune burner ignited.
She began.
"Step one: Extract essence."
"Step two: Stabilize energy."
"Step three: Combine without collapse."
Her movements were smooth.
Exact.
A faint blue liquid formed in the vial.
"Basic Recovery Potion," she said.
No excitement.
No pride.
Just fact.
"Failure rate for beginners—over 70%."
Murmurs spread.
Sol's eyes narrowed slightly.
70%… inefficient.
"Begin."
Students immediately started.
Crushing herbs.
Heating liquids.
Mixing blindly.
Within seconds—
Boom.
A vial exploded.
"Too fast."
Another failure.
"Wrong ratio."
More mistakes followed.
Sol didn't move.
He watched.
Every action.
Every error.
Every reaction.
[Analyzing…]
Common Failures Identified:
– Temperature imbalance
– Energy instability
– Incorrect ratios
"…Simple."
He finally moved.
Picked up the herb.
Crushed it gently.
Not too fine.
Not too rough.
[Optimal Texture Achieved]
He activated the rune burner.
Lower heat than others.
Controlled.
Slow extraction.
A faint green essence appeared.
Stable.
Next—
Combination.
Sol paused briefly.
"System. Simulate outcomes."
[3,214 Variations Calculated]
He chose one.
Carefully—
He poured the liquid.
No rush.
No hesitation.
Seconds passed.
Nothing exploded.
The liquid shifted.
From green—
To light blue.
Clear.
Pure.
[Potion Quality: High]
Sol immediately reduced the glow.
Lowered its clarity.
Made it look…
Ordinary.
Then stepped back.
Low profile maintained.
But—
"…Interesting."
Kael's voice.
Right beside him.
Sol didn't react.
"You controlled the heat differently," Kael said.
"And delayed the combination."
Sol glanced at him briefly.
"…Guess."
Kael smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
But his eyes said otherwise.
He had seen enough.
Not everything—
But enough.
"Remember this," Kael said quietly.
"Alchemy reveals thinking patterns."
Then he walked away.
Sol's expression remained calm.
But inside—
He's connecting things.
Danger increasing.
Across the room—
Instructor Seris suddenly appeared beside his table.
Her eyes moved to the vial.
Silence.
A long one.
Then—
"Acceptable."
She walked away.
No praise.
No suspicion.
Perfect.
Sol looked at the potion.
A faint smile appeared.
Spells… optimized.
Potions… controlled.
Next—
Golems… weapons…
Everything followed the same rule.
Structure.
Logic.
Efficiency.
He clenched his hand slightly.
Power is not about talent…
It's about understanding systems.
And he had the best system of all.
Silently—
He continued.