With a deep breath, Leon entered the building. Upon entering, he realised it expanded into a massive hall. Couches, chairs, tables, and various other essential amenities adorned the hall in the building. There was occasional hushed conversation, which Leon found comforting, and strangely, there was no scent of alchemy present.

Near the entrance, there was a desk where a woman in a uniform was helping others. Multiple doors covered the wall, with people either standing in front of them or gathered in the enormous hall. There was a large board in another section of the hall covered in many papers, with an additional desk and staff nearby.

Making his way to the desk near the entrance, Leon prepared himself for the conversation. “Hello there! You must be new here”. The female staff’s words came as a surprise to Leon.

“How did you know?” He asked in a slightly monotonous tone of voice. His continued use of the mask gave him a somewhat monotonous tone.

Without acknowledging Leon’s tone, she smiled and retorted, “Only those who are new seek me out; experienced alchemists move on to the boards.”

“I’m indeed new. I wish to become an alchemist”. Leon clarified his purpose for coming here.

She nodded. “Are you familiar with the fundamentals of alchemy?” She asked kindly. Leon hadn’t considered the question she asked.

“N-No, I don’t know”. Leon felt ashamed to confess it, causing his mental mask to briefly slip before he readjusted it.

Luckily, there was no sign of anger in her as she handed him a book. “Everything you need to know about the fundamentals is in this book. Please read it and come back to me.”

Leon nodded and took the book. He felt a sense of relief that the situation didn’t spiral out of control. He found a vacant chair, took a seat, and started reading the book called “Beginnings to Alchemy”.

Leon learned that alchemy came in many forms. The typical ones included potions, poisons, transmutations, and rituals. Potions and poisons were self-explanatory; potions provided beneficial effects such as healing and buffs, while poisons inflicted detrimental effects like debuffs and damage.

Transmutation was different. Elemental beings had a unique item known as an elemental core. There was a range of sizes for elemental cores, including small and perfect ones. Common elemental beings had small cores and every rank it increased in size.

By utilising these cores, it is possible to incorporate special effects into various weapons and items. For example, consider an alchemist who has both a regular dagger and a small electric core. By merging these two components, they could create an electrified dagger. However, this was quite challenging to achieve.

I wonder if I can try something else. While reading about transmutation, Leon had an idea, but he had to wait a long time to pursue it. As he progressed through the book, he gained knowledge about rituals.

Essentially, rituals were intricate and elaborate spells that incorporated various objects and arrangements. The positive aspect was that these rituals had the potential to achieve something extraordinary, essentially bringing about miracles. Naturally, if they were unsuccessful, the outcome would be death or something even worse.

Leon’s mind conceived ways of integrating summoning and alchemy. Potions allow me to buff myself or my familiars. My idea for transmutation still stands. And finally, a downright crazy idea for rituals.

Every living creature has the potential to evolve and become more powerful. It is likely that Beans transformed into his current form after evolving from a regular ferret and developing an earth core. If that’s the scenario, is there a way for him to design a ritual that can bring about even greater evolution for his familiars?

Failure puts my familiars at risk of being lost forever, while success will unleash a powerful surge of their powers. Leon knew that very few summoners chose this path because of the dangers involved. However, those who could did could attain great power.

Leon recalled a player named ‘The Insect King’, from the novel, someone who was sure to make an appearance later on. The name provoked envy and outrage, but he would show its legitimacy.

The Insect King was a summoner but his path was insect-based. With the help of these insects, he honed his skills in rituals by sacrificing only a few from the group and breeding new ones. Through a process of trial and error, he elevated his insects to a level where they were nearly unbeatable.

I don’t have that luxury, I can’t sacrifice Beans. He couldn’t sacrifice his familiars, so Leon had to devise a unique method of evolution.

Leon carried on with his reading of the book. The following section provided a thorough description of the alchemy chambers within the guild. Master carpenters created the rooms and incorporated a variety of enchantments. The list of requirements for an alchemy room included things like being nearly indestructible, removing smells, and eliminating gases.

I’ll probably keep renting rooms and not making my own. Such a list is likely worth thousands of gold coins. Horror washed over Leon as he continued reading the never-ending list. Once he finished going through the list, he discovered a recipe.

[Basic health potion recipe learned.] The message read out as Leon finished the book and remembered the recipe. Thanks to the system’s help, he could easily recall the recipe after a single read-through.

Leon got back up and walked back to the woman. “I’ve finished the book and learned the recipe”. His voice was still monotonous.

The woman nodded and inquired, “Are you interested in doing the test right away? Please note that you will need to pay 50 copper coins for each attempt.”

As the costs slipped from his mind, Leon’s anxiety caused him to break out in a cold sweat. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. “Is it possible for me to exchange something in return for the permission to take a test?”

Her face showed surprise, but she nodded in agreement. “We only accept alchemical items; we will evaluate them and provide an appraisal.”

The option brought Leon a feeling of relief, prompting him to retrieve the barrel of Alpha Grey Wolf’s blood from his inventory. “Is this enough?”

The woman glanced at the barrel and sniffed it. “Well, it’s not anything extraordinary, but there’s a large quantity of it. Just a moment, please.” She said as she bowed and walked through a backdoor.

Was that a good sign or a bad sign? Leon’s uncertainty about her meaning caused his anxiety to rise, and the longer he had to wait, the more challenging it became for him to remain calm and hide his genuine emotions.

The woman returned with a smile on her face after a short while. “I’m pleased to inform you we can give you three tries. Will you accept that?” As soon as she finished saying that, a message popped up for Leon.

[Profession Quest: Alchemy Test. Accept or Decline?] Leon felt a wave of relief wash over him as he nodded his head accepting the quest and looked over the details.

Quest Detail: Alchemy is the most expansive and difficult profession there is. Hours of brewing over a cauldron or creating a gigantic ritual. The choices are endless. Now is your chance to step on this path! Objective: Brew one basic health potion.

Leon had already expected such a test when he got to the part about the basic health potion. “Please follow me, sir,” the woman said professionally, showing that the transaction was complete. He followed her and ended up in a waiting room of some kind.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

He noticed he wasn’t the only person in the room who was interested in alchemy; there were many others. Everyone noticed Leon but remained silent. Despite his young age, they all quickly zoned out again.

Weren’t people also doing this in the inn? What are they doing? Leon was completely confused. Was there something very basic that he was unaware of? Taking a seat on a chair, he patiently waited, finding himself with little to do but gaze off into the void.

“First time?” A voice sounded out, making Leon look over. A male player started a conversation with Leon. As Leon nodded, the man’s smile turned bitter. “This is my third attempt, and it’s proving to be quite difficult.”

Leon couldn’t figure it out. Wasn’t it simply a matter of following a recipe? Before he spoke, the door opened, and a guild member stepped out, scanning the room before singling out the individual who had been conversing with Leon. “It’s your turn once more.”

Rising to his feet, the man sent Leon a brief smile and silently mouthed a message. “Forums”. Upon hearing his message, Leon realised what the others were up to - they were browsing the forums.

Access to the forums was made possible through the connection of the headgear to a massive server, which was provided as a free service. The return of the internet after more than a month made Leon very excited.

Navigating through the menu, he promptly found the forums and took a moment to log in with his player name. As a result, the homepage greeted him.

[Souls Online Forums! The official forums for all players!]

You have successfully logged in as Tempest.

* Classes

* Professions

* Souls

* News

* Rumours

The key topics divided into five categories, each having its own set of sub-topics. Leon prioritised exploring the Summoner section under the Classes topic since it aligned with his long-term goals. Suddenly, he noticed a topic that was about him.

Home—>Classes—>Summoner—>Mysterious Summoner?

HeavenDancer [Verified Summoner] (Original Poster)

Posted on Jun 15th 20XX:

So does anyone have any ideas on who the anonymous summoner is that contracted a Bronze boss?

>Skyflight [Verified Ranger]

Replied on Jun 15th 20XX

If we had any ideas, we would’ve posted it in the Rumours section, dumbass.

>HeavenDancer [Verified Summoner] (Original Poster)

Replied on Jun 15th 20XX

@Skyflight - Stfu, no need to act like such a smartass.

>Skyflight [Verified Ranger]

Replied on Jun 15th 20XX

@HeavenDancer - You mad bro?

As he read the argument, Leon couldn’t help but sigh nostalgically. Wherever there is internet, there will always be arguments, regardless of the world. As he continued scrolling, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

>Luna [Verified Fighter]

Replied on Jun 15th 20xx

I know who it is! I’m not telling you though :P

>HeavenDancer [Verified Summoner] (Original Poster)

Replied on Jun 15th 20XX

@Luna - Pics or you’re just attention seeking.

>Luna [Verified Fighter]

Replied on Jun 15th 20xx

@HeavenDancer - Send me 10 gold and I’ll tell you.

Leon broke out in a cold sweat as he read Luna’s replies. He didn’t know if she was just trolling the guy or if she was for real. Better call her to be safe. The call quickly connected.

“Hiya Tempest! What’s up?” She asked in an innocent tone, unaware of Leon’s panic.

“Luna, were you serious about selling my information for 10 gold?” Leon asked, his tone more serious and aggressive than usual.

Luna laughed softly, “What? Of course not! I was just messing on the forums.”

Leon heaved an enormous sigh of relief. He really didn’t want that sort of attention on him. “Sorry for doubting you, I just…want to remain anonymous for as long as possible.”

Luna realised Leon took that joke seriously. “I’m sorry for the joke. I didn’t mean to stress you out.” Luna felt really guilty for making Leon panic. They exchanged a few more words before cutting the call.

Was I too rash in calling her? Leon wondered as he hung up. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he might have overreacted, but his need for anonymity was too strong to ignore. I need to learn to trust my friends more.

He remembered the countless disappointments he had experienced in his previous life. Friendship was still a new and fragile concept for him, but he knew he couldn’t avoid it.

As Leon ended the call, he realised that the waiting room had cleared out somewhat, with a few additional individuals now occupying seats. He closed the forums earlier than usual because he didn’t want to miss being targeted by a guild member.

Sure enough, the next time the doors opened, the guild member looked around before pointing to Leon. “You’re next.” The man said to him. Leon nodded and got up to follow the man. As the door closed behind him, he walked through it and followed the man down a narrow corridor.

The man stopped before a door at the end of the corridor and said, “Your test is to make a basic health potion. The ingredients are inside. You have three tries. Good luck.” Leon understood the assignment and had no questions, so he nodded and went inside.

Inside was a simple alchemy room with no one there. In the middle was a cauldron. On the side was a simple table with some simple tools, plants, and bottles of water on it. There was also another book for the recipe in case one forgot.

Leon looked around for a bit before going to the table. The bottles of water were the same that were given in the tutorial starter kit. The plants were something he hadn’t seen yet.

[Blood Grass] (White)

Grass imbued with life energy. Can be used in alchemy.

[Midnight Dew] (White)

Water imbued with the tranquillity of the night. Can be used in alchemy.

Enough for three tries exactly. Leon separated the ingredients into three batches and then walked empty-handed to the cauldron. Regular fire was not used to fuel the cauldron. Mana was necessary to warm the cauldron and generate a flame beneath it.

Proper mana usage, or control, is the key. Leon discovered the answer when he read the book. It was understandable why the player had trouble earlier. At present, the player base had limited knowledge about Mana, but they would eventually figure it out with time.

Leon touched the cauldron and poured some mana into it. A giant flame caught his eye as it suddenly erupted under the cauldron, rapidly heating it up. By reducing his mana usage, he also caused the flame to dim.

He took some time to get used to the cauldron first. Unbeknownst to Leon, two guild members were closely monitoring his actions.

“Finally, there is someone who bothered to inspect the ingredients and get acquainted with the equipment before trying their hand at making the potion.” Said the same male guild member who escorted Leon.

By utilising a specially constructed wall that appeared ordinary on one side but allowed visibility on the other side, they could monitor Leon.

How many people had taken a leap of faith, hoping for a miracle? The answer was too many. “He has a good grasp of his mana for someone of his age.” A female guild member noted as Leon got the flame under control.

“That’s expected, given the presence of the animal sleeping on his shoulders. It’s obvious he’s a summoner.” The man spotted Beans concealed beneath Leon’s robes.

They observed Leon for a short while before the woman inquisitively asked the man, “Do you think he can accomplish it in three attempts?”

The man scoffed, “Obviously, the better question is, how many tries do you think he needs?” He looked at her with an obvious suggestion in his tone.

“You want to make a bet?” In a somewhat surprised manner, she posed the question to him. It was a risky move to wager on those who were new to the field.

“You know me so well.” The man’s prideful words elicited an eye roll from the woman. “1 gold coin. I give him two tries”. The man said, grabbing a gold coin from his pockets.

With a raised eyebrow, the woman took a moment before she finally spoke. “Agreed. I’m putting my money on one shot.”

The man was surprised. “I always thought I was the one who liked to gamble.” The guild members stopped bantering as Leon went back to the table after getting used to the cauldron and recovering his mana.

Leon was woefully unaware that two guild members had just bet on him as he grabbed one batch for the potion. The instructions for the recipe were straightforward: extract the essence from the blood grass, combine it with the midnight dew, and simmer it over medium heat for two minutes.

He took another quick look at the recipe, making sure he missed nothing before concentrating. He grabbed two water bottles and poured their contents into the cauldron. Using his mana, Leon activated the cauldron and increased the water temperature until it boiled.

Once the water reached its boiling point, he moved aside and ground a batch of blood grass with a pestle and mortar. The grass swiftly turned into a paste that bore a resemblance to blood. Leon grabbed the paste, midnight dew, and an enchanted ladle.

After adding the paste, he discarded the pestle and mortar and began stirring the cauldron with a ladle until everything was thoroughly mixed. The mixture was still boiling, but it had become less intense as Leon decreased the temperature.

The concoction quickly changed to a deep red colour, and as the cauldron emitted an odour reminiscent of iron, he cautiously introduced the midnight dew to eliminate the scent. This stage was the most challenging, since waiting too long could cause the life essence being burned, while adding the midnight dew abruptly would extinguish it. He kept going until he finished the entire bottle.

Leon dimmed the fire and let the mixture cool down until it was room temperature. He grabbed an empty bottle and used the tap on the bottom to empty the mixture into the bottle.

[You’ve successfully created a Basic health potion (White). Obtained 50 EXP] “Ha ha ha! First try!” Leon was ecstatic and cheered loudly as he had succeeded on just one try. He was completely absorbed in the process of making the potion, to where he didn’t even notice any nerves.

[Basic health potion] (White)

Instantly recovers 20% health. Cooldown 30 seconds.

“Pay up,” The woman smiled as they noticed Leon had succeeded.

The man grumbled but still threw one gold coin at her. “You escort him out. I’m in a bad mood.” He said as he got ready to bring in the next person.

“I don’t think he’s done.” The woman said as Leon cleaned the equipment and walked over to the next batch.