Chương 46: Alchemy and Desires

The damp forest darkness surrounding Ithrya swallowed our wagon the moment we crossed the boundaries of the main road. We strategically retreated to the isolated cave the group had already been using to train and refine potions. The atmosphere among the girls was a volatile mix of physical exhaustion and the silent panic of individuals who had just fled a political assassination. But the chessboard did not wait for their fatigue.

The imposing, unfamiliar female voice still echoed within the deep recesses of my mind, freezing time for a mere millisecond with that icy question: "What is it you desire?" My mental response had been precise, direct, and entirely devoid of hesitation. Yet, that woman merely locked the demand away in the void. I thought Liora planned to manipulate me so I wouldn't turn against her. I played into her hands, but she isn't my enemy. She did this out of fear.

Therefore, all that remains for me is to embrace her and harbor this secret. This turned out incredibly well for me. Now, I have both Aurélia and Liora right in the palm of my hand, and I will do everything within my power to ensure Aurélia stays with me. I focused on the variables of the present. I stared at the dark crack of the entrance, evaluating the damp trees. If the kingdom sent scouts, that rustic opening would be an unacceptable weak point. — A camp is temporary.

A territory is different — I decreed in a low whisper. — If anyone comes after us, I will not let the choice of battlefield be theirs. A good defense does not merely stop the enemy. It controls the path they are forced to take. I slid my hands into my jacket pockets, maintaining my signature frozen countenance. I opened the wagon and unloaded the pile of old, battered, and rusted swords we had accumulated onto the rocky floor, along with two Black Stones. I extended my right hand over the warped metal.

Under the command of my mana, the atomic bonds collapsed. — Broken metal still possesses a useful structure. The appearance of a material does not define its potential. I am not melting the metal. I am reconstructing it. Matter possesses flaws. Molecular alchemy exists to correct those flaws. The rusted steel liquefied into a dense, gray fluid. I molecularly decomposed and cleansed every single impurity, creating a clean alloy devoid of rust and excess carbon.

I crushed the two Black Stones using pure pressure and integrated their subatomic particles directly into the compound. I directed the flow of liquid metal against the cave's stone walls. The alloy expanded, creating a thick, matte black metal gate. Hinges, locks, and internal reinforcements were molded as a single continuous piece, without seams, fused directly into the living rock as if it had been born from it. With the perimeter sealed, I ordered them to rest.

They retreated into the wagon, thoroughly broken by the weight of the night. In the dead of the night, while the silence was broken only by their heavy breathing, my eyes opened. My twenty percent bodily emotion setting guaranteed that physical fatigue was nothing more than an irrelevant data point. I stood up and advanced alone toward the rear of the complex to farm the internal structure of the bunker. I analyzed the mineral composition of the rock.

Using controlled molecular disintegration, I broke apart only the necessary matter, carving out a deep, straight corridor toward the underground. I molecularly compacted and reorganized the walls to prevent cave-ins, polishing the floor to facilitate swift and silent movement. I drilled through the floor of the corridor until I struck a branch of underground magma far beneath the base. The crimson glow of the lava rose through the fissures, illuminating the walls.

To contain the extreme heat, I lined the duct tunnel with heat-resistant vitrified stone, created physical containment barriers, and sculpted secondary ventilation channels to dissipate the excess gases. At the upper edge, I sculpted a toilet seat directly into the rock, connecting an inclined tube that was highly polished on the inside, which drained directly into the magma. I molded a thick stone lid to seal the steam and block any odors.

Any waste discarded there would be instantly incinerated at thousands of degrees. Right beside it, I excavated a rectangular pool directly into the rock. I opened a channel to tap into the forest's underground water source and routed the duct to snake extremely close to the lava's heat zone, warming the water to the exact perfect temperature before filling the tank, complete with an outlet for constant renewal.

Polishing the entire internal surface with molecular alchemy took time, but dense, warm steam slowly began to fill the back of the cave, creating a perfect mineral hot spring. When the first rays of sun cut through the upper crevices of the rock, dissipating the damp mist, the girls woke up. Myreia, Selene, and Akari stepped out of the wagon and stopped abruptly before the structural changes. Selene stared at the entrance. — Was this here when we arrived? — No... — Akari murmured.

She looked at me, then at the massive black gate. — Did you do this while we were sleeping? — Yes. — Alone? — Selene asked. — It was faster. Explaining every single step would take longer than simply doing it. Myreia approached the gate, running her fingers along the matte black surface. — It's not just metal. You altered the entire structure. I can't even find a seam. — Because there isn't one. Myreia remained silent for a few seconds. — Sometimes I forget how absurd our alchemy is in this world.

Liora approached right after. Unlike Myreia, her analysis was purely practical, focused on military utility. — You seal the only entrance — Liora pointed out. — Yes. — So if anyone comes after us, they'll have to go through there. — Exactly. She looked toward the underground corridor. — And you created an internal route. An escape route? — That too. Liora gave a small smile. — So you really were thinking of everything. Liora didn't ask about aesthetics, comfort, or appearance.

She immediately looked for entry points, exit points, and combat possibilities. It was exactly the behavior I expected from an assassin. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Shortly after, Aurélia stepped slowly out of the wagon, her steps hesitant. She stopped in the center of the shelter, blinking against the subtle light of the fortified cave. — Where... are we? — she asked, her voice weak. Selene pointed toward the interior. — Look around.

Aurélia observed the massive gate, the descending corridor, the steam rising from the hot spring, and the restructured walls. — Did Kuro do all of this? — During the night — Selene replied. Aurélia remained silent for a long time, her fingers clutching her own cloak. — He really is trying to protect us... The psychological trap snapped shut without me needing to utter a single word. I wasted no time and walked over to a sturdy log we had stored at the base.

I pulled my right hand from my pocket and extended it over the rustic wood to begin the furniture creation. — Nature shapes wood to resist time. I shape it to resist utility. Loose fiber is a waste of space. Molecular compaction creates true density. I activated the molecular alchemy. I removed the bark, the knots, and all internal moisture instantaneously. I reorganized the cellulose structures and compacted the fibers at an atomic level, eliminating porosity.

I shaped the flat tabletop and straight legs as a single solid structure, applying a satin polish. Myreia approached the table, mouth agape. — Wait. You compacted the entire log? — Yes. — Without glue? — Without glue. — Without joints? — Without joints. Myreia adjusted her glasses. — Do you realize you're using molecular alchemy to make furniture? — A table is still a table. Myreia began to laugh, shaking her head. — You are unbelievable.

Altering the atomic structure of a log that size drained my reserves abruptly. I stood motionless for a few seconds, feeling my matrix flicker at low levels. Liora, who was watching intently from the corner, took a step forward. — You're pushing your body too hard — Liora warned. — I can still keep going. — That wasn't what I asked — she shot back, crossing her arms and keeping her gaze firm. — If you fall, who is going to protect the group? Don't do this alone. She really took those words from the cave seriously.

Now she's starting to act like someone who believes she needs to protect me too. Akari approached from the rear, understanding the chessboard immediately. — Master. I looked at her. She was already holding the blue-violet potion, acting like an attentive laboratory assistant. — You're running out of mana — she warned. I extended my hand, and she handed over the vial surgically. I downed the liquid, feeling the molecular purification accelerate my biological recovery instantly. — Good observation.

— I'm starting to learn how you work — Akari replied. She observes more than she lets on. That could be useful. I pulled the smaller logs and repeated the process for the chairs: I cut the blocks, reinforced the internal fibers through pure molecular commands, sculpted the seats, and rounded the edges before polishing. Next, I focused on the stone side wall to erect the cooking structure. — An ordinary oven wastes heat through the cracks. A molecular oven retains energy in the core.

Vitrified stone is not just a barrier against fire. It is absolute thermal control. I chose the resistant rock, sculpted the combustion chamber, and calibrated the air intakes and smoke exhaust. I lined the interior with vitrified stone and molded the door with millimetric fit for a total seal. Selene observed the clean structure. — So we finally have a real kitchen. — We have a structure capable of controlling heat. — I call that a kitchen — she insisted. Myreia adjusted her lenses. — Leave him be.

If you call it a kitchen, he'll start explaining thermodynamics. — I can explain it. — No! — Selene and Myreia exclaimed in unison, breaking the tension that had accumulated since the escape. With the oven ready, Myreia took charge of the supplies from the wagon. The strong, spiced scent of curry began to spread through the cave. She paused for a few seconds, watching the steam from the pot. — It's been a long time... Selene noticed the subtle change in her tone. — Do you know this food? — I do.

It's a food from our world. I glanced at her. For a moment, she didn't look like Myreia the alchemist of Ithrya. She looked like the class representative girl who existed before all of this. Myreia smiled faintly at the pot. — Maybe it's good to remember home every once in a while. We organized the meals on the compacted table. We sat down to eat, but the opposite corner remained frozen in a heavy atmosphere. Aurélia was still curled up in her cloaks. Selene moved the plate closer to her. — Aurélia...

you need to eat something. — I can't. — You haven't eaten since yesterday. — My sister died... — Aurélia raised her vacant gaze to the plate. — How could I just sit here and eat? Liora, who was eating in silence beside her, fixed her eyes on the girl. — You need to eat — Liora said, her voice devoid of sweetness, but firm. Aurélia looked at her, surprised. — I can't. — I've lost people too — Liora continued, keeping her expression controlled and pushing the plate an inch closer to her.

— I know it seems impossible to go on right now. But continuing to breathe is also a way of surviving. She wasn't a character who would console someone gently. She spoke from her own bloody experience. Myreia looked discreetly at me over her glasses. — Aren't you going to say anything? — No. — Why? — Because some people need silence before they can accept a word. Myreia blinked, surprised for a moment, before focusing back on her plate. I don't need to look kind all the time.

Sometimes, allowing someone to cry is a more efficient way to gain trust. She is still trapped in the moment of death, and I won't pressure her. The longer she remains in this state of abandonment, the more she will look for someone to lean on. And that someone will be me. I approached her, keeping my hands in my jacket pockets and facing her with my stable mask of ice. — We need to forge your death, Aurélia. She shuddered, raising her startled eyes in my direction, but the weight of reality cut off any objection.

This realization showed her that I wasn't just someone trying to keep them hidden. I was creating the exact resources for them to survive far away from Ithrya. I gathered the provisions and materials collected in the cave. It was time to begin the real forge. We set aside the common compounds, and I spread the arcane components across the table. The construction process for the high-pressure armament began. — Selene, so I just keep the iron melted? — she asked, concentrating her fire magic over the workbench.

— Constant temperature. Do not exceed the limit. — Understood. — And I'll stabilize the crystal — Myreia added, focusing her atomic perception. — Correct. Myreia smiled faintly, watching the fusion of fluid metal blend with the fine powder of two crushed Black Stones and Abyssal Charcoal. — Finally, a team forge. — Don't get distracted. — I was just commenting — she murmured.

I injected mana continuously into the mass until Myreia positioned the crystal to seal the carbonated grooves, finalizing the Black Steel Ingot. Next, we fused two Mithril ingots with Orichalcum Powder and pulverized Black Stone. As the metal began to change color under the surgical channeling, Myreia leaned forward. — The structure is changing. The density increased more than I expected. — Keep channeling mana. — Do you realize we're creating a material that probably doesn't even exist in this world?

— That is the goal. Black Steel. Black Mithril. Unknown materials in this universe meant a tactical advantage that no one could replicate or easily track. We shaped the matte Black Mithril Ingot. Liora approached the workbench, inspecting the dark alloys with her analytical assassin's gaze. — Is it a long-range weapon? — Liora asked. — Yes. — Long-range dominance means someone could die before they even realize they're being attacked. — That is one of its functions. Liora fixed her eyes on mine.

— You're creating something dangerous. — I know. — I like that. Myreia turned to her with a grimace. — You shouldn't say that so naturally. Liora could certainly utilize this weapon, but I would prefer that only Myreia and I operate it. In fact, I am going to use this armament to reach the kingdom. I will find a way to clear Aurélia's name and prove her innocence.