Chapter 32: The First Alchemist

As I neared the classroom, I folded the paper and tucked it into my pocket.

Approaching Kereiya’s side, I found her accustomed to my presence. She expertly rose to let me pass, then settled back into her seat.

“Yang Yuehan, no, I should call you Ren, shouldn’t I?” Kereiya leaned in, her gaze fixed on me with a questioning intensity.

‘I froze upon hearing her words. So, she knew after all? Yet, I had already prepared my explanation.’

“Either name is fine,” I replied. “In our world, there are many ways to address someone: surname, given name, courtesy name, nickname, childhood name, moniker, and so on. Yang is my surname, Yuehan is my given name, and Ren is my courtesy name. For convenience, I’ve always used Ren as my primary name. But since you’re my first friend, I used my formal name with you.”

“Huh? That’s so complicated? It’s just a name,” Kereiya exclaimed, clearly surprised.

“Exactly, you find it troublesome too, right? Just call me Ren. Yang Yuehan sounds far too formal.” I spoke with a natural, gentle smile. “Of course, please don’t spread my formal name around. I’d rather not be seen as overly special; that would be quite bothersome.”

“Got it!” Kereiya blinked playfully. “I won’t say a word, Ren~ Hehe.”

“Thank you.”

“By the way, doesn’t ‘Ren’ mean ‘pity’ or ‘cherish’ in Witch Tongue? I must say, it suits you perfectly right now~ I’ll be waiting for the day you become a girl!”

“That day is far off,” I chuckled, not evading the topic. Since she didn’t treat me differently, there was no need for me to be coy.

“Oh, right, Granny Dou’s class is about to start. Are you planning to meditate or try your hand at alchemy?”

“Me? Of course, I’m going to delve into alchemy,” I replied after a moment of thought. “After all, I’ve already completed the Witch’s Heart resonance. Later, if I successfully refine an incense, I can let you try it.”

‘Since I had decided to maintain this relationship, it was only natural to offer some benefits. Besides, practice items held little use for me. Perhaps once I mastered the technique, I could even sell incense, establishing another source of income.’

‘Though Granny Dou had mentioned that incense formulas weren’t part of the curriculum, surely many senior students had already learned such an easily acquired skill?’

‘So why was incense so expensive? Were the raw materials costly?’

“Then I’ll be waiting~” Kereiya accepted with delight, perhaps thinking my chances of success were slim, given my complete lack of experience with alchemy.

The brief conversation concluded, and the misunderstanding regarding my name was resolved. Everything seemed to be progressing favorably.

****

Soon, it was time for class, and Granny Dou arrived in the classroom with impeccable punctuality.

Every student’s gaze was fixed on Granny Dou.

“Why are you all staring at me? Aren’t you supposed to be meditating? Go meditate,” Granny Dou said to all of us with a benevolent smile. “If meditating in class feels uncomfortable, you’re welcome to go outside. Those who wish to practice alchemy with me can come forward.”

Upon hearing Granny Dou’s words, some students showed initial interest. However, seeing that there were truly no incense benefits to be had, several began to rise, Long Shi among them.

With Long Shi leading the way, many students promptly exited the classroom. Whether they sought a suitable meditation spot or simply left to do other things remained unknown, and Granny Dou paid it no mind.

Her sole concern was how many students would approach her to learn alchemy this lesson. While she didn’t expect anyone to complete an incense formula today, she still hoped some would come forward and develop an interest in the subject.

‘Moreover, there was one thing she hadn’t mentioned. To truly begin alchemy, one’s spiritual power had to be refined into threads.

‘Only with such spiritual power could one barely begin to learn the spiritual technique known as the “Formless Hand.” After all, alchemy could not rely solely on physical hands.

‘How could one extract energy from extraordinary materials or harmonize extraordinary properties with mere hands? Was it simply a matter of mixing substances and observing normal reactions at a microscopic level?

‘That would be science without the extraordinary, not alchemy. Science commanded the grand material world but could not break through the extraordinary’s blockade. To transcend the ordinary, one had to harness extraordinary power.’

Some might argue that science is a means and an attitude for understanding the world, and that even the extraordinary realm could be explored through scientific methods.

‘However, the extraordinary races would tell you that the exploration of the extraordinary realm *is* alchemy—it is the means by which the extraordinary world is explored! Did they not grasp the definition of terms?

‘While the rigorous attitude of science had indeed inspired much in alchemy, the latter still had to defer to the former. Thus, research fields involving the extraordinary were now classified as a branch of alchemical extraordinary science.’

Nevertheless, science hadn’t significantly impacted the field of alchemy; it had naturally integrated into it. This merely indicated that their fundamental essences were the same. One could only blame science for not having an earlier start than alchemy; otherwise, alchemy would simply be a branch of science.

The very entry into alchemy, therefore, required spiritual power to transform into a Formless Hand, capable of accomplishing what the material world could not.

Spiritual power possessed such wondrous qualities. Precisely because it could interfere with extraordinary energy, it served as the bridge between the extraordinary and life itself.

As a discipline centered on extraordinary materials, alchemy naturally demanded potent spiritual power to support the intricate interplay and transformation within the extraordinary realm.

At that moment, I rose from my seat. Kereiya, accustomed to my movements, instinctively made way for me. I followed the thinning crowd for a short distance before approaching the front of the lecture platform.

Granny Dou glanced at me, her gaze then drifting to the Witch’s Heart at my waist. An even more benevolent smile spread across her face.

“Good child, do you wish to learn alchemy? What is your name…?” Granny Dou asked with a smile.

‘After all, as the crowd dispersed, no one ultimately came forward wanting to learn alchemy. After a brief internal struggle, I decided to be the first.

‘I felt that, besides me, no one else in the class would want to waste time at this particular moment, would they?’

‘Coupled with the herd mentality, if others didn’t take this class, I wouldn’t either. The teacher would surely catch up eventually anyway.’

‘That was why I cautiously approached Granny Dou.’

“Yes, Granny Dou,” I said smoothly. “I feel a certain interest in alchemy, so I wanted to come and gain some practical experience. My name is Ren; you can simply call me Ren, Granny Dou.”

“Ren, you say? What a wonderful name, hehehe. Come, Granny Dou will show you the marvels of the alchemical world!” Granny Dou exclaimed.

She no longer waited to see if anyone else would come. Instead, she immediately began explaining things to me.

After all, some time had passed, and those still dawdling likely had little interest in alchemy, merely weighing their options. She couldn’t be bothered to teach such individuals.

‘This child, however, was different. The more she looked at this white-haired boy, the more favorably she viewed him. To have completed the resonance on only the second day—he was truly a genius.’

“First, let’s understand the fundamentals of alchemy,” she began. “The threshold for alchemy is quite high. I doubt anyone else in this class, besides you, could even perform alchemy right now.”

“I had initially planned to demonstrate alchemy myself, but after some thought, I believe it’s better for you to get hands-on experience. Since you’re the only one here, feel free to experiment boldly.”

“Go ahead and make full use of the materials I brought this afternoon. The techniques of alchemy are truly mastered through repeated practice.”